Trixie Belden and the Mystery of the Heart
by fanpersonthingy
Summary: It's been three years since Trixie graduated Sleepyside, Jr. Sr. high with her neighbors, Honey Wheeler and Diana Lynch and many things had changed. Trixie has been iscolated for three years, and now a new mystery is pulling her back into a world she left
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters. None of it is mine.

**A/N:** Hey so this is my first Trixie Belden fic. I hope I kept everyone in character. Trixie may seem a little out of shorts. I hope I kept her in character as much as I could. Tell me if she seems to out of character. I'll see if I can fix it.

* * *

"Trixie, watch where you are going!" Dan Mangan yelled as the car carrying the two from their work to their apartment came to a jerky halt, "Really, why couldn't you decide you wanted to learn to drive while you were in Sleepyside."

Twenty-two year old Trixie Belden sniffed, "I think I'm doing perfectly fine, and so do the driving people. They did give me my learners permit."

'Yeah, I still don't know how that happened," Dan grumbled with his arms folded across his chest from the passenger seat, "I'm still going with you seduced the instructor."

Trixie turned when she stopped at a traffic light and gave him a smile, "Now, Dan, you don't actually believe I would do something like that?" She turned back to the road when the light changed, "You drove us to work, so I get to drive home. That was our deal."

Trixie flipped her long unruly blonde curls over her shoulder. It had been three years since she graduated from Sleepyside Jr. Sr. high with her neighbors, Honey Wheeler and Diana Lynch and much more than the length of her hair had changed, much, much more.

A year after she graduated she went to New York to take a two year course at the college there. She was in the final year of that course now, working part time at the police station, and living in a small apartment with her good friend, Dan Mangan. Dan had gone into the city the year before she did to start at the police academy, and when he heard Trixie was moving there he offered her the extra room in his apartment. Mr. and Mrs. Belden hadn't been completely thrilled with the idea of Trixie going to the city, but Dan's offer made them more comfortable with it, and the both knew that Trixie just felt like she had to get away from Sleepyside.

To help pay for her school Dan had come through for her again. There had been a job opening for a secretary at the police station. It wasn't Trixie's dream job, but it paid money and gave her a chance at solving a mystery or two. With Dan's good words, Trixie got the job, however she soon found out it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. For Trixie, getting a job in a man dominated world would be almost impossible. Women weren't accepted in the work place as willingly as she would have liked. It was almost impossible for a woman to go much past the job of secretary in the police station. Hot-headed Trixie was very prone to complain about the injustice of this.

"Did you see the way they laughed at me," Trixie cried halfway between anger and dismay, "they still think I'm a joke, and I have no way of proving to they that I'm not!"

"Trixie, don't you go getting any ideas," Dan said as he opened the apartment door, "I can't help remembering one very long car ride, to one very crooked hamburger joint."

'Dan, gleeps, I'm not fourteen anymore. I know better than to make silly, impulsive decisions," She said as she collapsed in a kitchen chair.

Dan passed her a coke out of the fridge and sitting down opposite with one of his own he said with a teasing smile, "I seem to remember last week, someone-"

"_Most_ of the time I know better," Trixie amended with a laugh, and then she sighed, "It just makes my blood boil that they won't even give me a chance just because I'm a girl."

Dan smiled, "They just don't know what you can do. You've helped me many times."

"I guess," Trixie said with a smile, "Hey, what are you doing sitting around? It's your turn to cook my friend. Chop, chop I'm a hungry girl."

Dan shook his head and laughed, but he followed orders.

When Trixie had first moved in with Dan, she made it clear to him that she didn't want to be like a house wife. He was going to share the work, and one of the things they had to share was dinner. One day Trixie would cook, and the next it was Dan's turn.  
At first Dan would just bring home food from a restaurant, or make sandwiches when it was his turn to do dinner. After a few weeks of this, Trixie decided it was time to take charge.

"You're going to learn to cook," She told him one day, "Come on, I'm sure it will make you popular with the girls. I bet they'd love a guy who could cook. I know I would."

It had been slow going in the beginning, but now Dan could cook as well as Trixie, maybe even better.

The two friends made small talk as Dan cooked, and as they ate. They had become very close over the time they had shared the small space, closer, even, than they had been when they were both Bob-Whites. Dan wasn't anything more than a friend – they had tried that for a short time, but both agreed they were better friends – but Dan was a really good friend. He had been there for Trixie when she really needed a friend and had no one else to go to.

Trixie laughed as she thought about how close they were now, and how far they had been when they first met.

"What's so funny?" Dan asked as he got up to clean off his plate.

"Oh nothing, really," Trixie sighed and picked up her own dish, "I was just thinking about how much we… disliked each other when you first came to Sleepyside."

Dan shook his head, "I was more than a little messed up back then."

"It didn't help that I was accusing you of everything I could," she sighed and headed towards the small living room, "It was that jacket and those boots of yours that put me off so, and messed everything up."

In a few minutes Dan joined her in the living room. It was small but cozy; that was how Trixie felt about the whole apartment. It wasn't big, there was only the kitchen, living room, two bedrooms, and the bathroom, and it wasn't fancy, but it felt like home. To Trixie, it felt more like home than Crabapple Farms had at the time.

"Speaking of all that," Dan said somewhat hesitantly, taking a seat across from Trixie, "I got a letter form my uncle this morning."

"Hmm, really," Trixie said sound genuinely interested, "How are things for him?"

"Oh, he's good… so are the horses," Dan replied, then added even more hesitantly than before, "You got a letter too."

Trixie tensed but she kept her voice casual, "From Regan?"

"Umm… well… no … not quite… it was from J-" Dan didn't get to finish saying the name.

"Did you put it with the others?" This time there was obvious stiffness in her voice.

"Yeah," Dan said, seeing as this conversation was going better than others of its kind had, he added, "Trixie, don't you think you should at least re-"

"No, Dan I don't think I should," she said briskly ended the conversation, "What else did Regan say?"

Dan, sighed, he saw that conversation had ended. He would have to come about it another way, "Umm… let's see… Honey's home for the summer… Oh and little Charlie's going to learn to ride soon."

Trixie smiled. Tom and Celia's son was an adorable ball of energy. Trixie could see that he was going to be just like his father.

"Well, he'll enjoy that… I did. Did Regan say anything else?" She asked

Dan felt bad about saying what he said next, just when she was starting to relax again, but it had been two years already, "Jim's school is coming along nicely," He saw her stiffen as he said Jim's name, "You remember he found a spot for it not that far from here. Just outside the city. He thinks he'll be ready to open it soon…"

Trixie was sitting perfectly straight and had guarded eyes as she said, "Really, that good for him. He really wanted that." _He told me so the first time I met him_ she added in her head _back before… _

"I'm going to go see it this weekend… You should come too… it would mean a lot to him," Dan said slowly.

Trixie had left her seat before he finished talking.

"No, Dan, I really shouldn't," Trixie said slowly and deliberately.

"Trixie, it's been two years! What are you going to do? Ignore them from the rest of your life?" Dan asked. They had, had this conversation many times before, so he knew exactly what she was going to say next.

"Yes, if that's what I have to do, then yes," Trixie said quietly. She was looking away from him staring out the window.

Dan sighed. He had to bring it up, "What about the wedding? How are going to ignore that? They'll both be there. He's your brother you can't just not go."

Trixie closed her eyes. The wedding, she had been trying to forget about that. Sometime last month her older brother Brian Belden had proposed to Honey. Honey who had always adored Brian in everyway, of course said yes. They were going to get married at Crabapple Farms in august. Dan was right. She couldn't just ignore that.

Honey had sent her numerous letters, and even a phone call or two, trying to get her to talk to her. She wanted Trixie to be her maid of honor and Trixie wanted to, but she couldn't. She couldn't get close to Honey again. If she forgave Honey, then she would only be that much closer to forgiving him, and she couldn't do that.

Trixie let out a breath, "I don't know, Dan. I don't know what I'm going to do," she turned around then and there were tears in her blue eyes, "but I do know I can't forgive him. I just can't, Dan. Do you understand? He… he hurt me. I trusted him and he hurt me… and, and… and I forgave him… and he hurt me again. I, I can't forgive that. No… not now… probably not ever."

With that she went to her room, and did something she never use to do, but now found herself doing too much of, she sobbed. She cried for all she lost and all she couldn't have back.

_How naïve we were, _she thought sadly, _we thought we had it figured out. Jeepers, we didn't know anything did we? We thought we could stay like that forever. Jim would have his school, Brian would be the doctor for that school and Mart would teach agriculture. She and Honey would become great detectives. Like anyone would higher a pair of women… oh maybe we could have had that, but could have been happy if we just hadn't gotten involved…_

* * *

Trixie sat behind her desk in her uniform. A blouse and skirt in the police official colours. Her blonde curls were pulled into a ponytail to be kept out of her face. She wasn't quite sure what had made her grow out her hair, she had always liked it short, but when she had come to New York she felt she needed a change. So her hair became long. Sometimes, now, when she looked into the mirror she saw her mother looking back at her instead of Trixie Belden.

It had been about a week since she and Dan discussed there problems. They didn't really talk about it. That's how they did things. Dan would bring it up once a month, Trixie would freak out and then they wouldn't talk about it again till next month. So, Dan went to see Jim and his school and Trixie stayed home pretending that she didn't want to go too.

Trixie hadn't been have a particularly good day. She just wasn't in a working mood when she got up and when she went to work it only got worse. Dan left to go on some duty work, leaving Trixie alone in the boring work, doing her boring job, with boring officers who thought she was too silly to bother with detective work.

One of these silly officers came over to her desk and openly complained about a probably he was having with his case. When Trixie offered her opinion what did he say?

"Stick to what you know, darling. This is nothing to worry your pretty little head," he told her then handed her some papers, "here, sunshine, do what your good at, file these for me."

Then he walked off.

Trixie's blood was boiling as she turned to put the papers in their proper spot.

"'Stick with what you know, darling'," Trixie mimicked angrily, "Why if he knew what I had done. What I know! Gleeps, I probably know more about mysteries than he does," there was the sound of someone clearing their throat behind her, but she didn't really hear them, "'don't worry your pretty little head' I'd like to show him what this pretty little head could do."

"Umm, excuse me," A voice behind her said, "I would like to see Dan… I mean Officer Mangan."

Trixie who was still fuming slammed the file drawer shut and muttered loud enough to be heard, "Of course you want to see officer Mangan. The man, no one would want to talk to a pretty little head about real things."

_Oh, gleeps, I'm so getting fired; _She thought when she realized exactly what she had said. She turned around to apologize and kindly tell the person Dan was out at the moment, but the apology dies on her tongue as she stared into a pair of very familiar, startled green eyes.

In front of her stood James Winthrop Frayne. In front of her stood Jim.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anybody or anything cept Susan

**A/N: **Sorry about the wait, but here is the next chapter, and it's a pretty long one. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

What was he doing here? Trixie thought. He wasn't supposed to be here. This was her place, her world. Jim wasn't supposed to come into it.

"Trixie?!" Jim said. He appeared to be as surprised to see her there as Trixie was to see him.

_What is he doing? _Trixie asked herself again _and why was he surprised to see me? _Trixie knew that he knew that she was working there. Just because she didn't talk to him directly anymore, didn't mean that word didn't reach him.

_Dan, _Trixie thought this had Dan written all over it.

"I'm sorry, sir," Trixie said keeping her voice professional. She was flustered at seeing Jim, of course, but Trixie didn't get through all those tight scrapes by letting her voice show her emotions, "but Officer Mangan is out at the moment. If you wish to wait, there are some seats over there."

Jim stood there, still, in front of the desk. His freckled face was blank underneath his red hair.

"Sir," Trixie repeated herself, "I must ask you to take a seat or leave. I have other people to take care of."

They both stood their, on either side of the desk, staring at each other. Jim's stare blank and unreadable, Trixie's daring and defiant. Slowly, Jim nodded his head and walked over to the chairs. He looked back, but Trixie had already started with her work, not thinking about him any longer – or so it appeared.

The whole time Jim sat a few feet away from her Trixie pretended to work, but nothing really got done, nothing really had to be done. Her job was a slow one, it always was. She flipped through blank pages, adding a word here or there. The whole time acting like Jim Frayne was the last thing on her mind, when in reality he was the only thing.

She was closer to him than she had been in three years. Jim, her trusted friend, her first – and really only – love. After Honey, he was the first person she would go to for a mystery. He was the first person she would tell good news to too, and the first one she'd go to get comfort from the bad. That was before. She could remember every detail about the first time she saw him. She remembered everything about that day, that week, the months and years that followed that. Her life started the day the Wheelers moved into the manor house. She remembered everything about walking into the miser's mansion, and seeing his sleeping form on the old mattress. She remembered the look on his face when he saw them, and the look on his face after both she and Honey had offered to adopt him. It wasn't love at first sight, but there was still something about Jim, that was just… Every moment after that had been stored safely in a special place in her mind. A place she used to like to visit, but now, she kept as far away as possible. Around Jim, she once felt safe and secure, and completely ok to be herself, but now just being in the same room as him made her feel tense and on guard.

It was all too much. Just the name 'Jim' filled her with so many emotions Trixie felt like she might explode. There was the pain, and the hurt; there was also something else. Something else that the pain didn't quite eclipse and something that Trixie didn't want to admit was there.

"Dan," Trixie jumped up grabbing her friend's attention the second he walk through the door, "You have a visitor."

She pointed to the seat where Jim sat drumming his fingers. He hopped up the second he saw that Dan had arrived.

"Jim, what are you doing here?" Dan said surprised.

Jim shook hands with his friend, "You said I could come down if -"

"Of course, right, of course, how could I forget, right this way," Dan said heading towards his desk, "we can check it out over at my desk."

Trixie looked back at their backs as they walked to Dan's desk. The desk was only a short ways from Trixie's own, but it was far enough to stop Trixie from hearing. That frustrated the sleuth in Trixie that smelled a mystery brewing. All other thoughts were driven from her head as Trixie decided she had to hear what was being said. She had to be in on the mystery. She grabbed the papers off her desk – the blank ones she had been doodling – and she walked over to the filing cabinet; the cabinet was close enough to Dan's desk to enable Trixie to hear the discussion.

"How did it come to this Dan? She wouldn't even say my name. She acted like she didn't know me," Jim's voice was raw with emotion.

Trixie risked glancing over. She didn't want to give the appearance that she was eavesdropping – which she was – but she had to see Dan's face. Jim's face would have been more ideal, but his back was towards her. His shoulders, she noted, were hunched over and his head was hanging. Dan had a sympathetic expression that was hindered with awkwardness.

"I don't know what to say, Jim, I guess you just have to give her time," Dan finally tried to consol his friend.

Jim raised his head, "Time, it's been two years! How much time do I have to give her…? Oh, I don't know…"

Dan sighed and shuffled some papers on her desk. Trixie stopped moving, she was enraptured in the conversation.

"Ok, look, I'm not pretending to be an expert on these things, but I've spent a lot of time with Trixie these past few years," Dan said solemnly, "and… she, it really hurt her… you just… I don't think she wants it to happen again. She has her guard up; so to speak… she's shielding herself from those things."

Jim covered his eyes, leaned his head back, and groaned, "I wish none of this had happened. If I had just… but then… and now I can't get her to believe I didn't do it. Dan… I just can't believe I managed to mess it all up so bad. It seemed so perfect, then…"

"I still feel like this is some how my fault," Dan admitted.

"What are you talking about? You didn't do anything," Jim said, "It's nobody's fault but my own. You would think after it happened once I would have learned…. Then of course that's what makes my story so unbelievable now… cause I should of learned… but…"

Dan nodded slowly, "Twice does kind of make a bad impression, but I brought her home the second time… I just I should have known…"

"Dan, I made decisions that lead to both incidents, no one can change that. No matter how hard you might try. I messed up my life on my own, and everyone else's," he sounded so defeated that it would have broken Trixie's heart if it hadn't been broken already.

As she stood there listening to the boys' words, words she had more or less heard so many times before, but didn't believe, couldn't believe, memories flashed back to Trixie. Memories she didn't want to live again, but were coming any how.

She felt the pain expanded in her chest taking up the space where her heart and lungs use; she was short of breath, gasping for air. She felt tears well up in her blue eyes. _Why did this have to happen? Where did all this pain come from? What happened to the old me, and can I ever get it back? _

It was right after Trixie's graduation. The first time it happened.

The Wheelers had thrown a big graduation party for the girls – Diana, Honey, and Trixie. All the kids in their class was there, and their family and close friends - specifically one girl, Susan McNeil.

Susan McNeil was a pretty blonde who was a year or two older than the girls. Her brother had been in their grade and that was why she was there. Susan was tall, delicate and all around feminine. She was in some ways everything Trixie was not. Susan has a stunning smile, and was one of the only people Trixie could think of that came close to rivaling Di for most beautiful. Trixie, when she noticed Susan talking to Jim early in the evening, couldn't help but feel jelous, and ragged in comparison. It was like being faced with the stunning Dot, from Des Moines, all over again.

It was halfway into the evening that Trixie noticed that Jim was no where to be seen on downstairs where all the guests were.

"Have you seen Jim?" She asked Honey and her eldest brother Brian. They both shook their heads.

"He could be up in his room he was saying something about wanting to get started on next years stuff," Honey said hoping to be helpful, "Why he would do that during a party though, I don't know."

Trixie nodded her head, and went for the stairs that lead to the second floor of the Manor House.

"Jim," She called out to the silent hall. She got no reply.

_What is Jim doing? _She pondered. It was unlike Jim to leave a party he was hosting. That wasn't proper, and Jim was nothing if not proper.

She started knocking on the doors and calling out his name. It wasn't until she was halfway down the hall that she was successful.

"Come in," he called.

She turn the doorknob ready to great her boyfriend, and instead froze in the doorway. Any words she had once thought about saying died on her lips the moment she registered what she saw in the room.

"Trixie!" Jim called as she fled from the scene that had met her eyes.

She was all over him- Susan, perfect, beautiful, older, simply wonderful Susan.

Trixie only made it a few doors down before her legs collapsed from under her. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. She didn't want to cry, but tears were already running down her face.

"Trixie," Jim said again. He started to say something else but she cut him off before any words could come out of his mouth.

"Just save it Jim Frayne. Whatever you have to say just keep it to yourself, because I don't want to hear it," She open her eyes to glare at him , however, the tears glittering in her eyes some what marred the affect, "I know, why don't you go back to your room, and tell your little miss perfect what you want to say. You're obviously more interested in her anyways."

Jim stopped and stared, "How could you-"

"How could I what Jim? How could I what?" Trixie asked, "I think I should be the one asking you, 'How could _you_?'"

Jim closed his eyes and bit his lip. If Trixie hadn't been as upset as she was, she might have notice the Jim looked as upset as she felt.

He swallowed, and then said, "I was going to ask, how you could think I would actually do something like that. What about me makes you think I would do that. Trixie, I lo-"

"It's not what I _know _Jim, it's what I _saw_," Trixie said, cutting him off before he could finish saying anything she didn't want to hear, "and I _know_ I _saw_ you and her together… if you like that kind of girl better – Susan is gorgeous - then you know what fine, that's ok… it's not like I can do anything about it anyways. You could have… should have just told me… not-not…"

"Trixie, I've told you over and over again; it's you I like, it's you I want," he kneeled down to her level.

"Sure didn't look like I was the one you wanted," she growled.

"Trixie… you can solve a mystery that can stump even the most veteran professionals and yet you can't see what's in front of you right now. Susan had to use the bathroom, and all the ones downstairs were occupied. So I accompanied her up here to use mine. She was in there when you knocked, and then next thing I knew she wasn't… You came in so fast I had no time to react, no time to push her away," Jim explained, pleading with his voice and face for her to understand him, pleading for Trixie to forgive him, "and don't say I'm lying. If you think I'm not telling the truth, then answer me this, when have you known me to tell a lie? Give me one example and I'll leave it."

Trixie looked over at him. She wanted to believe him, but how could she? He, however, made a good point. Trixie thought long and hard, but all she could come up with was a whole group of times where he did everything in his power to not lie. He was just so honorable. _So honorable, _Trixie thought with a slight laugh, _that it gets dull._ The only time she could remember him coming close to lying, he had hated it so much, and he hadn't even told a fib. It had been back when he was hiding from his step-father, and they had gone for a ride in the woods. Mr. Lytell had found them, and just assumed that Jim was Honey's brother, and although that is true now, it wasn't then. No had actually told Mr. Lytell anything that was false, they just didn't correct him either. Still, Jim hated himself for that simple act.

Trixie tried; she made a valid attempt, a more than valid attempt to find a time when he had let a lie pass through his lips, but nothing could be found. As far as Trixie knew, could tell, Jim had never really lied. She felt her resolve weakening.

"Well," she said after a short time, "there was that time you scared Honey with all those lies about mad animals."

Jim's expression flickered, "Hang on now Trix! You know I was telling the truth-"

He appeared to have more to say on the subject, but Trixie's slowly growing smile stopped him. He realized she was teasing him.

He smiled, "So, do you believe me? Am I forgiven?"

Trixie sighed and looked at him, "Can I tell you tomorrow? I just don't know what to think right now, Jim."

"Of course," Jim said, "take all the time you need."

She obviously forgave him the next morning. Then it happened again.

It was the same as before only a few months later, and no party. Susan had come to the Wheeler estate with Dan this time. He had met-up with her again in New York. Trixie wasn't even aware that she had been their when she had walked into the wheeler's tack room to find Susan and Jim kissing. This time she didn't even stop to wait to hear his excuses. She knew better to believe them; they were just that – excuses.

That's exactly what she told Honey when she called that evening.

"You know Jim wouldn't do that," Honey had said, "That's just not him."

"Yeah," Trixie said with a bitter laugh. She had moved past the crying and was trying out being angry, "that's what he told me last time."

"Last time?" Honey asked confused. Trixie had forgotten she hadn't told Honey about what happened at the graduation party. After she forgave him, it just seemed easier to Trixie not to tell anyone about it. It had was done and over with, or so she thought.

Trixie told Honey the story, and Honey sighed, when Trixie was done, sounding relived, "Oh, well than, that's what happened this time too."

"Honey," Trixie told her friend wishing she could believe it was all that simple too, "you just want to see the good in everyone. The world just doesn't work that way. If it happened once, than maybe it was true, but twice… why would Jim be alone with her if he knew that could happen again."

"Trixie, this isn't just anyone were talking about, it's Jim. You know how honorable hi is," Honey pleaded, "and as for way it happened again, it's Jim. He's like me, like you just said, we want to believe the good in everyone. He wanted to believe that she had changed. She was supposed to be going with Dan."

Trixie wanted to believe it. She wanted to believe the excuses more than anything; more than the time before, but this time she couldn't. She just couldn't. She had believed him, and then he had turned around and torn her trust apart again. How could she believe him after that? She had believed him before, but she couldn't do it again.

"Look, Honey, I know he's your brother, and you want to believe him. I understand that, I really do; I have brothers too, but we just have to face it, he likes that type of girl better, and wants nothing to do with me anymore," she had planned to sound determined but unattached but instead, she sounded tearful and broken hearted.

Honey gasped, "Trixie, don't say that, you know Jim, absolutely, thinks the world of you."

Trixie could see that this was going no where. Nothing she said could change Honey's mind, and Trixie didn't think she wanted to do. Trixie knew in her heart, Jim had hurt her, and she couldn't forgive him. She knew that if she didn't forgive Jim she would end up having to make kind-hearted Honey choose a side. She didn't want to do that. She didn't want to turn Honey against her brother. So she did what she thought she had to do, even if it hurt her as much as it hurt Honey.

"Honey, look, you don't know what your talking about," she told her friend harshly, "so just stop talking."

"Well… if that's how you feel," hurt was etched into every one of kind-hearted Honey's words.

'Look, I'll talk to you in the morning," Trixie was on the verge of tears as she hung up the phone.

Trixie didn't talk to Honey in the morning. She didn't really talk about to Honey again. Not like the use to talk. As for Jim, Trixie avoided him at all costs. She hadn't really seen him, seen him till that morning, when he walked into the police station.

Trixie knocked a bunch of files on to the floor.

"Oh, gleeps," she moaned as Jim and Dan, and just about everyone else in the office looked her way, "I'll clean it up."

She vent down and looked the mess on the floor, _Aw, there's papers everywhere. I'm never going to get it all organized again. _

"Well, lets get back to why you're here," Dan said bringing Jim's attention back to their conversation, "Do you have it with you?"

"It was taped to the door this morning. Like I said before, I thought it was just kids, but now…" Jim said pulling a paper out of his pocket and passing it to Dan.

Dan took it and Trixie froze arm stretched out to pick up one of the sheets she spilt. She looked out the corner of her eye, without turning her head. She could see a mystery forming in font of her eyes, and she forgot everything except the note and the mystery it held. Trixie would give anything to know what was in the note that Dan was reading. The mystery was calling to her, begging her to solve it.

"So what do you think?" Jim asked reminding Trixie everything that solving that mystery would involve.

Dan looked over the paper, "I don't think that sounds like a kid's prank."

"What do we do?" Jim asked.

Trixie forced herself to stop listening, she couldn't get involved. It hurt too much to get involved.

Trixie managed to forget about the whole incident – or think about it a little less – until she was driving home with Dan.

"So I guess you're pleased with yourself," She said to Dan.

"Hmm, why should I be?" He asked.

Trixie sniffed, "Please, don't pretend you didn't plan to have Jim show up while you were gone."

"Actually, I didn't," he answered, "but I wish I had. Trixie it would do you a lot of good, to start trying to put this all behind you. I know you were hurt. I understand that, but you've spent enough time away from it. It's time to get back into it."

Trixie didn't answer so Dan talked for her, "Don't you want to know what the note said?"

"The note?" Trixie said deciding to play dumb about all that.

"Oh, please," Dan laughed, "I know you were listening, and I know you want to know what's going on. I also know you won't ask because it involves Jim, but I think this is just what you need. So incentive to make you go back to where they all are. If you use the mystery, which I know you love, you can start becoming who you use to be. Just come with me to Jim's school. Everyone's going to be there. It will be good for you."

Trixie still didn't respond and Dan didn't push it. They went to there apartment and made small talk or didn't talk at all.

After a while Dan go up and announced that he was going to bed.

Trixie looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears, "Dan… I can't… I can't," She sobbed.

Dan stopped and looked at her. He had seen her get through a lot of scraps, and tight spots, and yet this seemed to be the one thing she can't get past.

He set a piece of paper on the table, "Yes, you can."

Trixie watched as he left the room, than she picked up the paper and unfolded it. It was the note Jim had given Dan.

The message was clear, simple, and threatening.

_Stop the building or risk your life. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:**I own nothing but the plot.

**A/N:** Ok people, I am really, really, really sorry about the long wait. I got caught up in school stuff, then I was unhappy with the chapter, and then my internet started to be stupid. But it's here now, and just a little recap because I'm sure you all forgot by now (I almost did :P) - Trixie is mad at Jim, Dan wants Trixie to go to Jim's school for a visit, and Jim found a threatening note at his school, and Dan showed Trixie. Ok now without further adeu, the chapter.

* * *

"I'm really glad you're coming, Trix," Dan said as Trixie watched the city speed past the window and into the distance, "this will really do you some good; you've been hiding yourself away too long."

Trixie crossed her arms over her chest to make sure Dan was aware she wasn't happy about this; she didn't really know what she felt. She felt a whole spectrum of emotions – excitement, happiness, worry and fear; most of all she felt fear. She was afraid of what she would find. She was afraid of how she would act. Her life had been different for so long, she was afraid there was no way it could go back to what it used to be. Trixie, however, didn't show her fear, so she masked it with her anger.

"You blackmailed me," Trixie said glaring out the vehicle's window.

Dan laughed, "Now, now! I didn't do anything of the sort."

"Fine not blackmail," Trixie relented with a slight grin, "but you _did _bribe me."

The playful easy mood of the car was calming Trixie's nerves somewhat. She was comfortable with Dan. What she _wasn't _comfortable with was Dan trying to make her talk about her problems.

He sighed, "Trixie, no one made you do anything. Yes, maybe I _did _try to make this trip more desirable for you but I did _not _force you to come. If you didn't want to come for one reason or another you wouldn't be in the car right now," the car stopped at a stop light so Dan turned to look at her, "So please, stop taking out your issues on me. I'm not the one you're mad at; I don't even think you truly are mad."

They were silent as the light changed and Dan drove the car down the highway out of the city. Trixie felt guilty. She hadn't meant to lash out at Dan; it was just that she was keeping so much pent up inside she had to let some of it out and Dan was the closest person.

"I'm sorry Dan; you're right, I'm not mad at you or anyone; I'm scared… I… I don't know what to expect; it's been so long since… everything. I just need to—I don't want it to be all strange but I don't know how it's not going to be," she explained her gaze never leaving the window.

"Trix," Dan said, "You're the bravest person I know… for a girl anyways," Trixie laughed a little at his playful teasing, "they're your friends, Belden, they've just missed you as much as you've missed them."

Dan's words were a comfort to her. After their conversation Trixie relaxed and just enjoyed the ride. She would deal with what laid ahead of her when she got there. She was 'Trixie the girl detective' she could handle this; at least she hoped she could.

Sadly, the ride didn't last quite as long as Trixie had hoped.

Before she knew it Dan was stopping the car in a make-shift drive way and Trixie was sure she was going to throw-up. Her stomach was a buddle of nerves that she was struggling to keep under control. She started to wonder if she made a mistake, _I'm not ready for this._

Trixie could see the whole area through the windshield. Despite the hurt she still held from him, she could help but feel pride grip at her heart, pride for Jim; he had actually done it; his dream of owning a school for orphaned boys was so close to being complete. _At least one thing turned out the way it was supposed to, _she thought as she took in what she was seeing.

The area for the school was large and surrounded by an alcove of trees. There were three buildings already constructed and Trixie could see signs of building still going on further on in the distance.

It was quaint and perfect. Trixie immediately fell in love with it; of course she could never fully admit that – not even to herself.

Slowly, daze like even, she got out of the car. The smell clung to her sense—springy and earthy. It reminded her of home, not New York but Crabapple farms. The ache of missing grew stronger inside Trixie; she struggled to put it back down.

"I'm going to find Jim," Dan said, "He said he'd meet us out here – but, of course, _someone _made us late."

Trixie was still too stunned by the beauty of her surroundings to defend herself against Dan's obvious and playful accusation. Instead she just nodded and barely noticed when he left.

Curiosity, as it had always done in the past, got the better of her and she went into the closest building to her instead of waiting by the car.

From its size, placement and set up Trixie figured this was the main building of the school. The front hall certainly had that sort of look about it. The room Trixie entered through the doors was wide and spacious. It had one desk – presently empty – and many benches. The walls were adorned with selves and pictures.

As she went for a closer look Trixie was surprised to find that the things on the shelf – the trophies and rifles – were from Jim's own personal collection. They were Jim's things. She moved along, running her hand along the edge of the shelf. Among the pictures of the school construction Trixie found her own face smiling back at her as well as the other BWG's.

Trixie attempted to ignore these reminders of her past and the dull ache they brought into her chest but they just kept sucking her in deeper and deeper. No matter what she did, she couldn't stop torturing herself. She had to keep going. That was until she saw something that shocked her so much that she was frozen place.

Jim's bible and christening mug.

Trixie hadn't seen either of those mementos since Jim was first adopted by the Wheelers. She hadn't even thought about them, but of course Jim wouldn't have gotten rid of them; they had meant so much to him. They were the only things he kept with him as he ran across the state.

Unconsciously, Trixie pulled the bible off the shelf and started running her hands through the pages. Memories swept her swiftly into the past. She remembered the book flying to the ground as Jim swayed on that rickety old ladder for the second time. She remembered her excited calls as a thin piece of paper floated out of it – the will.

Slowly, she put the bible back how she found it, and ran her hands over the words on the mug – _James Winthrop Frayne II_; the words he had used to prove his innocence when she and Honey had found him asleep in Ten Acres; the words that had caught the bad light in a photograph and sent his cruel step father Jonsey down to Sleepyside. It was where she had put the note to come find her and Honey at Autoville when he had run away the second time.

It had been years since Trixie had thought about _any_ of these things but suddenly they were all coming back to her in a flood so forceful that Trixie felt she could be drowned by all of them.

"The school doesn't have any history to put up yet, so I thought putting up some of mine would be fitting," the voice had spoken quietly but Trixie jumped as if it had been a gun shot. She quickly pulled her hand away, like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar, and turned around.

"Jim," the name was out of her mouth before Trixie even thought about it. Her heart was screaming in her chest but she was desperate not to let Jim Frayne know that. She had promised herself that before she had even left her apartment, "You really did it. It's truly lovely… really."  
"It's not done yet," he said, a small smile playing on his lips, "but closer than I've ever been… I'm glad you came… it means a lot."

Trixie gave a nod. They were talking to each other like formal strangers rather than long time friends.

She looked at her feet as she replied, "I had to come… it's your childhood dream. What kind of fr-friend would I be if I didn't come?"

"Well, I'm glad anyways," Jim replied quietly.

It was silent; the air was tense but some of it seemed to be dissolving. Some of the usual calm was coming back to the room and the conversation.

"Dan's here too… somewhere," Trixie said more to break the silence than to inform "he went looking for you…"

Jim nodded, "Sorry, I know I told him I'd meet you guys outside but you guys were so late, I decided to show everyone else around; Dan knows his way around here."

"Oh, the others are here already?" Trixie tried to keep her voice casually conversational as her stomach clenched. She felt like she'd rather be back in that hamburger shop with Blinky and the others, or tied up on that rotting Mississippi steamboat with Lontard, or whatever his name actually turned out to be, then go and face all her old friends again, "Everybody?"

"Yes sir," Jim nodded from the hallway. He hadn't come into the room; he seemed to be keeping a safe distance between himself and Trixie, "You and Dan are the last to arrive."

Trixie flushed; she hadn't realized they were so far behind.

"Sorry," she apologized, "Dan was driving pretty slowly—"

"Oh no you don't Belden," Dan himself walked into the room, "you are not putting this one on me; _you _were the one that made us late."

Trixie kept her distance as the two boys – men really now – greeted each other. She smiled fondly; time was a real funny thing.

Once he and Dan were done catching up Jim turned towards Trixie again, "The others are in the cafeteria, follow me."  
They followed Jim down the hallway he been standing in.

As they walked the two boys talked of the school and the construction. Trixie was too busy panicking to even listen.

_What would they think? What should I say? _Questions flew through her head. _I've really put myself in hot water now. _

"Most of the buildings are done now; the building crew is just finishing up the athletic fields. They will be back tomorrow to start on the pool," Jim was saying.

Trixie perked up at the mention of building. The note and the real reason she was out here and not hiding at home came back to her.

'Stop the building or risk your life' was what the warning had said. Trixie's sleuthing mind was back at work and she was about to ask Jim about that note when Jim turned into a large room with several round tables. Sitting and chatting easily at one of the tables were four people. Four people Trixie had known very well and four people that she had been more or less ignoring for the better part of three years.

She stopped at the door while Jim and Dan walked easily into the room and towards their friends. Trixie took a deep breath and forced her legs to follow. _These are my friends, _she reasoned with herself, _not my enemies. They want you here._

"Look what the cat dragged in," Mart drawled easily when he noticed the incoming group and more importantly his sister, "Hey Sqaw – you finally decided to take a break from the big city and dwell with us little country people?"

Trixie's nerves bubbled away to be replaced by the very familiar irritation her brother's teasing always brought.

"Martin," she replied stiffly with a curt nod of her head. Over the years, Trixie had learned how to tame her anger a bit. It was getting harder and harder for Mart to find the right buttons to push, but he didn't stop trying.

"Trixie," Honey beamed at her as she sat down across from the fair haired girl, "I'm glad you came."

Trixie returned the smile without thinking, "So am I."

Trixie's resolve to ignore her best friend for her heart's protection dissolved the second she was in the same room as Honey. She just couldn't do it with her sitting so close; she had missed Honey too much. If she was being honest with herself, she missed everyone too much.

That didn't mean she had forgotten what had happened. Trixie Belden was still hyper-aware of Jim Frayne standing a few feet behind her. This awareness was a constant reminder that despite the ease of conversation at the moment, it could never go back to how things were when she was fourteen years old. Time had just changed too much.

"So, Miss Super-sleuth, how is the crime fighting going? Do they have enough criminals for your superior talent in the big city?" Mart asked.

Trixie made a face before replying bitterly, "No, because I'm not Miss Super-Sleuth, I'm Miss 'stick with what you know' Secretary."

"Your better than half the men on the force," Dan told her loyally, recognizing the warning signs and cutting Trixie off before she got too worked up about the unjustness to be stopped.

Trixie gave Dan her best charming smile, "Thank you."

"Fine, then I will rephrase my inquiry," Mart said turning to Dan, "How is babysitting Miss 'I get into more trouble than a back of dogs and Bobby'?"

Dan just chuckled while Trixie's face started to redden with contained irritation.

"I do not need a babysitter," Trixie retorted evenly, "I am an adult now."

Mart opened his mouth to continue his batter with his sister but Diana interrupted before he could.

"Please, we've all been back together for less than fifteen minutes, and you two are already fighting," Di pleaded, "Don't you ever stop?"

Trixie traded a guilty look with her towheaded brother. The last thing she ever wanted to do was upset anyone.

Thankfully, Honey, tactful as ever, changed the conversation to something far less controversial.

They slipped into conversation about little things. Things like jobs, and life. To an outsider it would look like a group of friends without a care in the world; it would look like how it used to be.

However, the change was still there. There was an atmosphere the hovered over the group – an atmosphere that still kept the knot in Trixie's stomach. There was a silent agreement among all to avoid certain topics, such as the past, and Trixie and Jim.

Trixie got through it by ignoring it as she had been more or less ignoring Jim; she thought of her mystery. She thought of the warning.

_Stop the building or risk your life. _

Trixie was dying to ask about the note, to find out if there are anymore clues, but she didn't find an appropriate opening until hours later while the group was enjoying a meal of barbequed hamburgers.

"As I was telling some of you earlier, all the buildings are pretty much done. The crew is coming back tomorrow to finish the pool and athletic centre," Jim explained.

Trixie looked up sharply and directly at Jim Frayne, the first time she had done that in hours and the only time she had without being forced, "Why aren't they here now? Why send them all home when something is only half finished?"

Jim gave her a startled look; it was the first time she had acted anything remotely close to her old self, at least where he was concerned.

"Well," he replied slowly, a little unsettled by the direction the conversation was going, "they deserve a holiday, don't they? I'm not a slave driver."

He gave a chuckle and smiled his old smile that use to make Trixie's pulse quicken and knees melt. She looked quickly down at the table before any of those symptoms started. She couldn't let those feelings loose; they were useless now. Trusting Jim with her heart wasn't something she could do, not anymore. Her head just had to remind her body of that.

She took a deep breath to calm herself. She had to know some answers; she had to solve this mystery, and the only place she can do that and get those answers is from Jim. She'd handled some dangerous thugs before. She could handle this – she hoped.

"So what exactly do _you _make of this note? Could this 'holiday' have something to do with this note?" She used all her will power to keep looking at Jim and ignore the emotions raging inside of her. The note, which she flipped out of her pocket as she talked, lay between them.

Jim's expression was somewhere between surprised and amused. Everyone else, except for Dan, just looked confusedly at Trixie

"I told you she would find something," Mart trilled triumphantly, "You guys owe me! So what cooks? Spill."

Trixie shrugged, "I don't know anything, _yet._ I've just read the note. It's Jim and Dan who are holding out on you."

Every head swiveled to the other end of the table where the two boys sat.

"And the plot thickens," Mart drawled dramatically.

Brian took a more serious approach, "Why don't you two start explaining exactly what she's on about."

So Jim and Dan took turns explaining what Trixie had already over-heard.

"I'm sure they are nothing more than a prank," Jim concluded, "There is nothing out here other than this, so why would anyone care?"

Honey looked at her brother, "Oh Jim, do be careful."

"I always am sis," he said ruffling her hair, "That is why I sent everyone home for a few weeks to figure some things out, but I found nothing and I really can't wait any longer. So they got to come back."

"Are you sure you didn't find anything? Who were your suspects?" Trixie's sleuth senses kicked in making her forget her awkward stomach knot for the moment.

Jim smiled, Trixie's familiar excitement making him forget the situation as well, "Yes, and no one; there is no one out here so sleuth down Shamus – it's just kids having a bit of fun. There is nothing for you to find Belden."

"Ah, dear Jim, you forget, my precious sister seeks mysteries like a bloodhound; she will never let go of this one," Mart quipped.

Trixie, glaring at her brother, opened her mouth to retort back but was stopped by her other brother.

"Well, she's going to have to let this one go this time. It's just a kids joke and if it isn't than you can get yourself into a lot of trouble," Brian said sternly, "This isn't a childhood game anymore Trixie, and your not a child."

Trixie started to defend herself but was again stopped from replying.

This time Jim intervened by changing the subject, "Well, we've spent enough time yakking; I think I should show you where you are sleeping."

The girls were sleeping in a small three bed bedroom in Jim's private rooms; the boys had a similar set up while Jim had his own room.

"Trixie, I really am glad you came," Honey gushed to her best friend while Diana was using the bathroom to ready for sleep, "It's been so long since… I really missed you."

The pain in tender hearted Honey's voice and eyes completely broke Trixie's heart. She couldn't understand how she had done that to her best friend, and really to herself.

Trixie suddenly and impulsively threw her arms around the other girl, "I'm sorry; I'm so, so sorry. I missed you too, I just couldn't… you were too close… not after…"

Honey held her friend tighter, "It's ok. I forgave you ages ago… you know… Jim really—"

Trixie stiffened suddenly and pulled away. This trip may have been healing her in some ways but in this one she was still very vulnerable; she just couldn't – she couldn't forgive, she couldn't forget, and she couldn't talk about it.

"Honey, I –" she started.

"Please Trixie, I know it was horrible – it still is horrible, but he didn't mean to… he didn't even do it," Honey pleaded. She lowered her voice, "it's Jim."

"Honey, I know what I saw. I'm sorry… I just can't. I'm here and that's going to have to be enough."

Honey still didn't want to give in, "But he—"

"Honey just stop!" Trixie snapped, and than lowered her voice, "please."

Honey looked down at her feet, "I just want things to be how they use to be, to be normal again."

Trixie bit her lip. She was doing it again. She hadn't spent more than ten minutes alone with Honey and she was already hurting her feelings all over again. She just didn't know how to be 'normal' anymore; maybe this was her new normal.

"I know Honey. Gleeps, I'm sorry… I really do know…" she said wrapping her arms around the other girl again, _but it can't. That's just not normal now, not anymore._

Diana came back in then and as the girls unpacked they spoke of safer things, but the shadow of Trixie's outburst still hung over the room.

* * *

Trixie awoke with a start. She looked around the small room groggily. Something had woke her but what?

She sat up straight as a noise rose from outside. It was floating through the open window; whatever had woken her up was outside!

She crept forward, towards the window, but quickly ducked out of sight when a beam of light flashed towards her through the window.

After a long minute the light moved away and Trixie carefully peaked out the corner of the window frame, still keeping most of her body hidden.

A man's dark form was silhouetted against the bright moon. It was a non-descriptive form; Trixie couldn't determine anything from it.

"Honey," she whispered forgetting where she was, forgetting about the situation, forgetting about the past. All Trixie remembered was her mystery and the drive to solve it, "Honey, wake-up. There's someone outside."

* * *

**A/N: **hope you enjoyed the chapter, sorry for the wait, I have a plan to keep track of all my stories so I shouldn't get too overwhelmed again and it shouldn't take too long for the next one to come out. Anyways, again hope you enjoyed, and would love for you to just leave a little reveiw, tell me what you liked and didn't. There is always room to improve!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **I would like to take this opportunity to apogize for the complete and utter lack of faithful updating. I am a complete horrid person. My only excuse it is I got busy, and I wasn't entirly sure where I was going with this story (ok so that's two excuses) but I promise no more excuses! I have a few stories started that I have been horrible about updating for and I've been trying to managed. So that means it may take me a little time to get back to this story, plus if it's possible I would like to get some chapters written down on paper first before I update again, that way it is easier for me to update on time. That being said, however, I hear by promise to take no more than three weeks top to update again. I know that seems like a long while, but with my recent like 8 month absenace that should be nothing. So with out further adue, lets get to the summary of "last time on Trixie Belden" so you will all remember what I wrote ages ago (because I really don't blame you if you have forgotten because to be honest I had :P

**Summary: **Ok, so let's see, it's been three years since Trixie graduated High School. She is living in New York with Dan and they both work at the police station (him as an officer and she as a seceratary). Trixe hasn't spoken to anyone but Dan and her brother really because she had caught Jim kissing another girl twice (both accidents according to him, but it's hard to forgive twice) so to protect her broken heart, Trixie stopped talking to everyone that could remotely link to Jim. Honey is engaged to Brian and wants Trixe it be her Maid of Honor but Trixie has been ignoring her too. That being said, the Bob-White gang is spending some time at Jim's soon to be openned school for young boys and Dan convinced Trixie to go, by drawing her into the mysterous going ons. Jim's school has been receiving threatening messages. Someone wants him to stop building. We left off with the whole gang at the school, slowly trying to mend some heartbroken gaps, and in the mean time, Trixie has spotted a mysterous person shaped shadow outside her window.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything but the plotline. The rest belongs to the fabulous writter(s) of the Trixie Belden series. Thank you.

* * *

Honey groaned and rolled over.

"Five more minutes," she mumbled sleepily, waving a delicate hand in Trixie's general direction.

"_Honey_," Trixie sighed exasperatedly never one for her patience, "Wake up, _there's someone outside!" _

Trixie raised her voice, while being careful to only wake up Honey, not Diana in the process.

This time the slender fair-headed brunette shot up and looked at her childhood friend with panic.

"What do you mean—?"

"There's no time; we have to go," Trixie stage whispered, turning on her friend to find her shoes.

"But Trixie," Honey who had gotten out of bed and followed Trixie's lead with the shoes, asked in her almost everyday voice, "how do you know it's not one of the boys, or someone else that works for Jim?"  
Trixie gave her a disapproving look, "Keep your voice down – we don't want to wake Di up too."

"But Trixie—"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out. You can come with me or stay here—but for God's sake whatever you choose keep your voice down."

Without waiting for a response, Trixie pushed open their door and snuck out into the darken hallway

Honey stood in the middle of the room for a moment, a conflicted hesitant look on her face before, as Trixie had expected, dashed out into the hall behind her.

It was just like old times.

_Exactly _like old times.

"I don't like this Trixie… maybe we should go get the boys." Honey had her hand on Trixie's shoulder so she wouldn't loose her as they slunk along in the dark.

"Nonsense," Trixie sniffed, "we're not children anymore; we're adults, we can take are of ourselves."

"Yes, but—"

"Besides," Trixie went on as if Honey hadn't spoken, "There's no time – We'll loose him if we go get the boys- we may have lost him already."

With this thought, Trixie rushed forward leaving Honey to have to run to keep up.

They emerged from the small building Jim had built to keep as his private rooms and into the night.

Other than the light on the building behind them the grounds were dark.

Trixie's heart sank; this was going to be harder than she had thought.

"Come on," she whispered tilting her head to the right, "I think he went this way."

They started at a rapid pace but had to slow down to nothing more than a cautious crawl the second they left the circle of light.

The moon was bright but that caused more problems than it solved.

Shadows folded and danced across the unfamiliar ground.

Trixie, determined as ever, didn't stop until she almost ran smack into another building. It looked like the main hall where they had spent the afternoon in.

Trixie stomped her foot in frustration, "This is useless! Getting around your father's game preserve was easier," she fell defeated against the wall, "Why oh why didn't I think to grab a flashlight?"

Honey laughed despite everything.

"Because you never think when you're chasing a mystery."

Trixie looked at her for a moment before laughing herself.

"You're right- but you usually do."

"It's been a few years," Honey shrugged still smiling, "I'm sure that with a bit more practice I'll be right back where I use to be."

"Does that mean you'll help? You'll help me solve this mystery?" Trixie asked anxiously, "I don't think I can do it with out you."

Honey was silent, an odd expression on her face.

Trixie was about to burst, sure that the suspense was going to kill her, when a small smile grew on Honey's face.

"Of course I will. I'll do anything I can, only… I'm not so sure there's much to solve here."

"Oh there is Hon," Trixie said not willing to give up, "I can feel it in my bones; something mysterious is going on – and I _did _see someone outside my window tonight."

The two girls stopped and looked around them. The air seemed to stop and drop in temperature.

The hair on the backs of their necks stood on end. It was as if whoever they had been chasing was lurking waiting to jump out at them.

Honey shivered.

"Well, they're gone now, so can we _please _go back to our room," Honey's voice shook slightly as she looked around her, "I still don't like it here."

A little unnerved herself Trixie didn't argue.

Whoever they were following was gone, but Trixie couldn't help but wonder if he left something behind.

The two girls walked back to their room slowly and silently.

Now that the adrenaline was gone Trixie felt tired.

But she was happy.

She had Honey back. This time she was sure of it.

When she had woken her up she had been too caught up in the moment to think about anything but the mystery. It had felt so much like old times that her brain hadn't stopped to register that it _wasn't _old times.

Trixie, however, was glad that it had happened.

She knew now that it wasn't old times, and she also knew that she couldn't go back to them, but her night escapade with Honey had shown her that maybe she could get something similar, possibly even better, instead.

"Honey wait," Honey stopped before opening their door, "Well… I was just wondering if maybe… are you still looking for a Maid of Honor?"

Honey froze. Silently staring; her face was a blank mask.

Then suddenly before Trixie knew it her arms were around her.

"Yes, yes, yes! Oh I knew you'd come around! Oh Trixie!"

Trixie smiled and hugged Honey back.

This was as good a start as any.

* * *

Trixie and Honey, having spent a large chunk of their night wide awake, got up much later than the rest of the gang.

"Are you sure you saw something last night?" Honey asked as the two girls got ready.

Diana, having gotten up earlier, was already gone.

"Not something, Honey, _Someone."_

Trixie had never been so sure of something in her life.

Someone had been outside her window last night and she was going to figure out who it was.

Honey pulled a shirt over her head, "What do you think they wanted?"

Trixie felt warmth spread in her chest at Honey's trust in her.

She felt guilty that she hadn't always had that same trust in her, or at least acted as if she didn't.

Honey was such a better friend, but Trixie vowed to make it right the second time around.

"I have a feeling where going to find out."

Honey stopped what she was doing, a sneaker half hanging off her foot, and stared at the other girl, "What on earth do you mean by that?"

"You'll see," Trixie replied her eyes twinkling.  
Honey shook her head and went back to her shoe. "I hate when you're so mysterious."

The walk to the main building where Jim had implied that breakfast would be served when they had parted the night before was much easier in the day time, and the girls made quick time.

They walked through the front office, Trixie strictly ignoring the memento's adorning the walls to avoid a repeat of emotion from the day before, and went to the Cafeteria.

When they came through the door, laughing at something that Honey had said, they found everyone huddled around one of the tables whispering with concerned looks on their faces. The laughter died on the two girl's lips.

"There are the great detectives of old," Mart quipped upon seeing the two girls, "let's all step back and let their genius figure it out."

Honey, who was now making her way towards Brian, looked about confused, "what is it? What's going on?

"What does it say? What do they want?" Trixie asked at the same time, excitement lacing her voice.

Brian wrapped his arms around his fiancé and stared at his sister suspiciously, "What did what say?"

"The note; there was another one right," Trixie joined the group at the table, "That's what you're all whispering about right?"

Jim stepped forward this time, his look as suspicious as Brian's, "Alright Trix, what exactly do you know that the rest of don't."

The air sizzled and snapped around Trixie as she stared at Jim. She felt her heart leap and snap at the same time. She couldn't understand how she could feel so many things at once, let alone all from just one person.

She longed for the old simple Jim. The Jim she always trusted, the Jim she loved.

He was gone. Trixie doubted they could ever get that back.

She avoided his question.

"Where is it? What did the note say? May I see it?" she asked in rapid concession looking about the table trying to spot the piece of paper she so desperately wanted to see.

Di leaned across the table, a small slip of note paper in her hand.

"Personally, I think this whole thing is simple awful," she shuttered delicately as Trixie took the paper from her.

Despite her excitement for the mystery, Trixie noted that her word loving brother slipped a comforting arm around Diana after this statement, and the girl seemed to relax slightly.

_Curious, _she thought as she looked down at the note.

She had known that Mart had always had a thing for the prettiest member of the Bob-Whites, but the last she had heard, Diana had broken it off with him to chase after some other fancy she had taken.

Perhaps that had changed. It was another mystery she had to work on.

But for now…

The paper was the same as before, typed in neat print on the smallest piece of paper it could have. The words, which had changed slightly, filled the whole space.

_I've warned you; stop the building or deal with the consequences._

Trixie read the note three more times before looking up.

"Why do they care so much?"

Jim shrugged, "That's what we were trying to figure out."

As Trixie, on instinct, followed the voice to its owner, she found her gaze once again frozen, tied, locked into Jim's green ones.

They looked so much like they always had, deep, green, trustworthy. There was a new edge there, however, something that had never been there before and somehow managed to make Trixie uncomfortable.

It was as if he was trying to communicate something across the space, funneling all these feelings and words into one gaze. Things that Trixie didn't want to, wasn't read to, might never be ready to, know.

"Maybe," Mart said breaking the spell, an impish smile growing on his face, "this whole place is on ancient Indian burial ground, and you've offended their gods by building on it."

Free once more, Trixie looked down at her hands to see she had scrunched the note into a tight ball; she nervously flattened it on the table.

"And I suppose that it's the disgruntled spirit's leaving Jim the warnings," Brian said leaning forward on the table from where he had sat down with Honey beside him.

"But of course."  
Mart never backed out of a joke once it started.

"And these Spirit's just happen to have typewriters?" Dan's voice dripped with skepticism.

Mart was unfazed, "It's a common known fact that all apparitions have full access to all the worldly possessions that we lowly humans have."

Trixie let her eyes skim the note, hunting, looking for any clue it might hold.

"It didn't look much like an app-appa- ghost outside my window last night," Trixie more mumbled than announced, too preoccupied with the note to put much conviction in her words.

Still, everyone managed to hear her.

"What do you mean, 'last night'" Dan, always hesitant of Trixie's wild impulsive plans asked, "Just what are you up to Trix?"

Trixie, who had started tracing the words and mouthing them to herself, appeared not to hear the others.

"Trixie thought she saw someone outside our window last night, so we tried to follow them," Honey answered when it appeared Trixie wasn't going to, "Only once we were outside, we lost them – we couldn't see anything in the dark."

The silence that followed this was broken up by Brian's cries of outrage, "Unbelievable! She's only back a moment and she's got both of you gallivanting around like nothing's changed, like you're still children."

Hands on her hips, Trixie finally tore herself away from the note to glare defiantly at her older brother.

"And what exactly, Brian Belden, did you want me to do? Let him get away?"

"No what you should have done was—"

"You should have told one of us," Jim interrupted quietly, "You had no way of knowing who was out there; it could—"

"Exactly," Trixie cried triumphantly as she whirled on Jim too angry to care about him or her broken heart, "that was what I was trying to find out, and Brian's right, Honey and I are not children anymore; we can take care of ourselves, despite what you manly men might think."

Honey loyally jumped in then, "Trixie's right—I really don't think we could have been more safe, and besides we lost him as it was. We wouldn't have had time to get anyone else."

Trixie smiled at her faithful friend, glad that she had chosen to ignore the moment when they both felt as if someone had been watching them. Trixie had known that Honey had agreed with the boys; she had wanted to go get them, but it meant the world to her that she was defending the action now.

"While I believe it is neither here nor there on the subject of safety, my interest is whetted by this figure," Mart leaned towards his sister breaking the growing tension easily, "what exactly did you see- and remember fact's only – do not let your imagination wander as it is so apt to do."

"I honestly don't know. It was too dark to see any details, "she looked around the table helplessly her gaze locking onto Jim's a little longer than the rest, "But I know for certain that it _was _a person, and I'm going to figure out who."

Any response that might have been made to that was cut off by the distance sound of tires on gravel and the honk of a car horn.

Jim shot up, "That will be the building crew; I almost forgot they were coming. I've got to great them. Why don't you guys come out when you're done?"

Once he was gone, Diana leaned across the table.

"Did you really see someone Trixie?"

"I couldn't be more sure of it."

She shuttered again, and again Trixie noticed her brother go to comfort her, "How perfectly horrid."

"I don't know," Mart said as his arm unconsciously wrapped itself around Di's shoulders, "It's think it's something to think about."

"Then you think something's going on?" Excitement over a mystery pushed her suspicions of her brother and Di out of her mind for the moment.

"It's been a while since I've had a good mystery."

"I think it's been a while since we've even looked at any of this food," Dan interrupted, "let's eat before it's too cold to taste good."

Never one to argue about food, Mart didn't need more urging to dig into his meal.

Once the food was consumed, the gang trouped outside at a leisurely pace.

Arm and arm, Honey and Trixie trailed behind the others.

"Is there something going on between Di and Mart, that no one thought I should know about?" Trixie asked.

"You noticed that too?" Honey asked excitedly, "I thought I might have been imagining it."

"There is defiantly something up with the two of them."

Honey giggled, "Nothing the Belden-Wheeler detective team can't handle."

Trixie found herself giggling as they came outside.

That's when she noticed Jim talking to a tall blond man who looked vaguely familiar.

Their previous conversation completely wiped from her mind, she leaned over to Honey.

"Say, Honey—who's that man J-Jim's talking to?"

"Why Trixie! That's—" the blond man turned and noticed the two girls before Honey finished speaking.

His blue eye's lit with surprised recognition.

"Why do my eyes deceive me?" he called interrupting Honey before she could introduce him, "If it isn't Trixie Belden!"

Trixie felt her mouth drop slightly in surprise, "Benjamin Riker?"

* * *

**A/N: **So that was the (hopefully) long awaited chapter. I hope it lived up to hype, and made up for not updating in Eons! I promise that I will update soon (three weeks max) and if I don't please, please, please come yell at me. I listen to yelling. On that note, please, please review. I love to hear what you think, and I really apprciate constructive critisism, it helps me get better. So please, stop by, give a quick review and tell me what you liked and didn't like :) and also, as a bribe, I will probably update quicker if you update. I am a horrible ham for an audience. If I know somones reading, I feel a lot more encouraged to read. Horrible, I know, but also the truth, sooooo Review :) Thank you, and I really, really do hope you enjoyed it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything but the plot. Everything else, characters and such, are not mine, nor do I claim them to be.

* * *

Benjamin Riker.

Trixie couldn't remember the last time she had seen Honey's mischievous fun-loving cousin.

He had only shown at the Wheeler's a handful of times after his eventful thanksgiving visit – Trixie found herself blushing at the memory of that one. He had only visited once or twice a year on the major holidays.

With each visit, though, he appeared to gain more maturity, and became more tolerable. In fact by the last time Trixie could remember see him, she had found him more than entirely likeable.

Which was why Trixie smiled and put up no objections when, after he greeted his cousin, she found his arms around her.

After a quick embrace he held her at arms length and made a large show of looking her over.

"Trixie Belden," he said again, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe his eyes, "Look who's grown up?"

She felt herself blush and started nervously rolling a ringlet around her finger; a habit she had developed when her hair had grown out.

Honey giggled and playfully shoved him, "Leave her alone."

"Don't worry Belden," Ben whispered hugging her again, "You look good."

Trixie felt her blush deepen as his breath softly brushed her cheek.

As he pulled away, she forced her face into a neutral expression, "What are you doing here?"

Curiosity burned in her. This was one of the last places she had expected to find Ben Riker. In fact, if Trixie was being honest, she hadn'texpected the see Ben,_ anywhere_.

"He's working for me," Jim stepped up beside Ben; his voice was casual but his face told another story.

It was an odd expression that Trixie couldn't quite place. It wasn't exactly angry, but perhaps it was something close to disproval. Whatever emotion he was displaying, it was a strong enough one to make Trixie bristle and feel suddenly defensive.

She turned a bit so she was facing Ben more, and Jim was looking at her shoulder.

"_You're _part of the build crew?" she snorted in disbelief, "I don't believe that you've ever built something in your life."

Despite the fact that Ben _had_ grown over the years, he was still a privileged rich boy, and although he had, had his fair share of jobs over the years, he only took certain types of jobs. Trixie was quite certain something as mundane and grueling as construction work was not on that list.

"Although I resent that comment, and can assure that I am quite handy with a toolbox no I'm not part of the build crew. I'm in charge of it," Ben finished his statement which had started with a haughty fake offended tone, with a tone of genuine pride.

It was obvious he was proud with what he had done with his life.

Trixie found herself suddenly wondering what that feeling was like. What it was like to actually have a job that you were proud of, rather than one you did just to say you had one.

She wondered what it would be like if she had actually become a detective rather than a secretary of one.

"You knew Ben was away at school," Honey interrupted her thoughts before they could get too dark, "he left before… before you left."

Trixie nodded absentmindedly. She now recalled hearing of Ben's adventures in the world of higher education but she couldn't recall anything but bragging stories of his girlfriends (read: conquests) and out drinking his fraternity brothers.

She found herself smiling at the memory even though she didn't recall being very impressed at the time.

"He really is marvelous Trixie, one of the best. He's just being a doll helping Jim like this," Honey gushed with pride.

Ben blushed slightly, "shucks, she's laying it on. I'm not _that _good. I'm good, just not _that_ good."  
Trixie smiled at this fake cocky grin.

"Congratulations," she said genuinely, "You were lucky to find something you're good at."  
"Do I detect a note of surprise there, Belden?" Ben teased.

"If I had said it you would have," Mart joined the small group, shortly followed by Di, Brian, and Dan.

As the group morphed into easy teasing and taunting that was getting too familiarly of the Bob-Whites of old for Trixie's comfort, she drifted away from the group.

She felt oddly jitter and tingly. It was like when she started a new mystery only better. It was like when—

"What do you think you're doing," Jim saddled up beside her his odd-disapproving look on his face.

It had the same affect on her it had earlier, "What do _you _think _your _doing?"

Anger bubbled up in her chest; she crossed her arms over it. _What right did he have?_

"I think I'm protecting my—I mean…" Jim ran a hand through his hair as he jumbled over his words. His shoulder's sagged dejectedly, "you… I think-I _want _to protect you."

Her heart did several things at the same time, none of which at the moment were particularly were pleasant.

Gritting her teeth Trixie glared at him, "You don't have any right to do that anymore."  
With a toss of her hair she turned on her heals and flounced away completely ignorant of the stares of the on-lookers.

She kept walking, letting her anger pulse through her. As long as she was angry she wouldn't feel the pain; she wouldn't start crying.

_Who does Jim Frayne think he is? _she fumed trampling along, _What right did he have? How could he…_

As she neared the edge of the forest she felt her anger, and her energy start to drop.

It drained out of her as if someone had pulled a plug. She could feel herself spiraling out of control.

She sunk down on a large rock and laid her head in her hands.

_How could Jim think he could protect me when he already… he already, _Trixie felt warm tears start to slip down her face, _There was nothing left to protect. He already broke it. _

Trixie sat there sniffling, hating herself for it but unable to stop, until she head the distinct sound of approaching footsteps.

Using the back of her hand she quickly tried to wipe away the tears.

"Honey, go away please; I can't talk, not right now."  
"Honey wanted to come," Dan said sinking down beside her, "So did your brothers, but I convinced them to let me do it."  
Upon hearing Dan's voice Trixie stopped all attempts at fake cheerfulness and sunk back down on the rock.

Dan sighed, "So what happened?"  
"How did everything get so wrong?" Trixie asked, fresh tears burning in her eyes.

Dan sighed again and put a comforting arm around her.  
"I don't know Trix; I just don't know."

* * *

"This place really is gorgeous," Trixie sighed as she combed one of the lovely horses that Jim had gotten for the school.

Honey and Trixie had just finished a ride through the wooded trails that surround the school.

Trixie was thankful that so far, she had made it through the day without anyone mentioning her out-burst from the day before. In fact, except for one unsure, awkward moment when she had finally pulled herself out of the woods, it had been like it had never happened.

At least, everything was no more complicated than it had been the day before, and really when you take everything into account that isn't saying much.

Also, the mystery was no clearer.

"What do you think about the workers? Could one of them be doing it? Writing the notes I mean?" Trixie couldn't think of any other solutions.

Three were no clues – no leads.

What was going on?  
"But why would they do that?" Honey looked at her from over top of the stall, "What would they get from ending their own job?"  
Trixie sagged against the stall wall, "I don't know."

Slowly sinking down until she was in a sitting position she let out a defeated moan.

Maybe the men at her work were right. Maybe she should just keep her pretty little head out of these things.

Honey set down her own come and sank down beside her friend.

"We'll find him; don't worry Trix," she comforted, "it's not over yet."

"Why does everyone always have such faith in me?" Lately she hadn't even been able to have faith in herself.

"Because you have a real talent," Honey said surprised she had to explain, "You're good at this – you've never lost a mystery yet, and you're not going to lose this one either."

Trixie smiled at Honey "Because I had you; I've also never solved a mystery with out you."

"Oh Trixie," Honey said, trying to wave off the comment but her voice cracked with emotion, betraying her, "I didn't do anything. You were the talented one."

"You don't know how wrong you are. You were the smart one of this partnership. I always told you that," Trixie shook her head, "I can't do it with out you Honey."

It took a few moments for her to compose herself enough to respond, "If I was so smart, I would be able to tell you who left those notes."

"And why. Don't forget we need to know why too."

Honey nudged her playfully; Trixie returned the gesture then the two girls fell into a comfortable, if discouraged silence.

"Remember the time we found the diamond in our gatehouse—before it was the clubhouse, of course," Honey had that far away look in her eyes that only someone completely lost in the past can get.

Trixie snorted, "How could I forget."

"And remember how panicked we were when we thought we lost it," Honey's pretty voice tinkled with laughter.

The sound was infectious and soon Trixie was laughing too, "I was so sure we were going to be put into jail."

"But Bobby had had it the whole time," Honey gave a content sigh, "and had put it back in my jewelry box, exactly where I had taken it from in the first place."  
"Bobby was such a riot back then… I guess we all were," Trixie concluded almost regretfully.

Time was a funny thing.

She had lost so much of it, and Trixie wasn't sure how she could get it back.

The past, though, was the past for a reason.

Trixie understood that. Now all she was hoping for was a way of fixing the future.

"Oh Trixie, How did we get here?" Honey asked mirroring Trixie's own question the day before.

Just like Dan, Trixie only had one answer, "I don't know."

The silence that fell this time was not as comfortable as before. This one was charged with years of pain, misunderstanding and unsaid words. It was as if they were all piling up now and pushing down on the girls, threatening to explode if something wasn't done, if something wasn't said, soon.

"Trixie," Honey's tone was a hesitant one that Trixie knew well; she felt her stomach clench with grim expectation, "about yesterday."

Trixie stiffened but made an effort to control herself, "Look Honey, I'm really sorry about that. I really wish I hadn't lost my temper like that; I was out of line… its just that I-we… I mean Jim… Jim isn't faultless either. He was out of line too. He should have- he didn't have a right to –"

"Hello?" a new voice entered the stable, "I come baring a summons for my dear cousin."

Ben Riker's blond head and cheeky grin appeared over the edge of the stall the two girls were sitting in.

"And what, pray tell, are two young lady's such as yourselves up to in such a place as this?" His grin widened as he looked down at them.

Trixie rolled her eyes but couldn't keep a smile off her face, "Go away Ben."  
"That I can not do," his eyes twinkled, "I am here to tell Ms. Honey Wheeler that her charming fiancé, a one Dr. Brian Belden, desires to see her."

"Oh but I can't – I mean, I have to finish up here—I can't just, " Honey looked around as what she wanted to do clashed with what she thought she should do.

Trixie placed her hand on her arm, "Go Honey; I can finish up here. There's not much left to do anyways."

"Are you sure- I mean-"

"Go," Trixie laughed.

"Don't be such a saint Wheeler," Ben waved, "I'll even do your share."

Honey looked unsure for a moment, before running off with a quick thank you.

"Well I thought she'd never leave," Ben said in a conspirators whisper.

Laughing Trixie pulled herself rather ungracefully off the ground and moved to clean that tact.

When Ben moved to follow, she stopped, "You don't have to do that. I can handle it on my own."

"I know – I want to," he answered simply and went about to work while Trixie stood where she was stunned to the spot.

She couldn't think of a moment in her whole existence when the phrase 'I want to' came out of Ben Riker's mouth in relation to working.

After a few moments, noticing that Trixie hadn't moved he turned to her, "You may have been ok with doing this all on your own, Belden, but I'm not," he threw a sponge at her, which startled, Trixie fumbled and dropped, "so get to work."

With a suppressed smile, and a shrug, she bent to pick up the sponge and did just that.

For a long while they worked in a comfortable silence.

It was nice, for Trixie, to spend time in the relaxed calm atmosphere. For once, since she first arrived at the school, she was getting a moment with out the anxiety and stress of her coloured past hanging over her. Ben wasn't a Bob-White, Ben hadn't spent a whole lot of time with her, and Ben didn't know enough about what happened with Jim for Trixie to feel like he might be in some way judging her.

Trixie was enjoying the freedom.

All the Bob-Whites seemed to be expecting something from her that she wasn't sure she could give anymore.

As far as Trixie was aware, Ben didn't know enough to ask for it in the first place.

"So what were you two lovely ladies talking about so animatedly before I showed my handsome face?"

"Oh this and that," Trixie responded with intentional vagueness, "Nothing that would concern you."

"Is that all I get?" He stopped working and put his hands on his hips.

Trixie gave him her best Cheshire grin, "A girl can't give away all her secrets."

"You were talking about me, weren't you?" he made a dramatic sweep of his hands, "It's ok, you can tell me—I already know how irresistible I am."

With out even thinking about it, Trixie reached over and pushed him – it was a light push, but since Ben hadn't been expecting it, he toppled right over into the pile of hay behind him.

Fighting back giggles Trixie rushed over, "Oh Ben, I'm sorry, I—" she cut off with a squeal as Ben reached up and pulled her down beside him.

"I can't believe you just did that!"

"Get used to it, Belden."

Laughing, Trixie pulled herself into a sitting position, and started pulling strands of crisp hay out of her hair, "You ruined my hair; I hope you're happy."

"I am." Ben indeed did look pleased with himself. Then his face changed and he took on a look more pensive in nature, "You know, there was a time when you wouldn't even pretend to care about such things as your hair. What happened, Belden?"

Instead of tensing up like she usually did when this topic came up she leaned back against the wall and sight, "I don't know… I guess it's like you said—I grew up."

"There's nothing wrong with growing up."  
Trixie looked over at him and he gazed back with a blank unreadable look.

"I've been meaning to ask you something," she suddenly burst.

"Me?" Ben pretended to be shock, "How can you have a question for me, I've only been here a day."

Trixie smiled, "How well do you now your men, your workers?"

"Pretty well, why?"

"Do you know any reason why—any one of them who—"

"Would leave Jim threatening messages because of the building?" Ben finished for her amused; Trixie gave him a rueful smile, "No. They're all good guys – besides, they all need their jobs. I can't see anyone… well actually –"

Whatever he was going to say was cut off by a muffled yell and then several voices coming together in quite the commotion.

Trixie stared to push herself up, "What the…"

Something was going on outside.

"What do you think—" Ben stopped talking when one of the builders came in.

"Sir- you- I mean… you might want to see this," the young man was pale, almost shell shocked.

"Paul? What is it?" Ben got up and offered Trixie a hand, "Is it the pool?"

Paul nodded, "I mean yes… sir it's… I think you need to see for yourself."

Shrugging, Ben and Trixie followed the young man out.

There was now a large group forming around where Trixie had last seen them digging the hole for the pool.

The faces she could see looked as pale and rattled as Paul's had.

Sensing a mystery growing, Trixie sped up; she had to know what was going on.

At the edge of the hole Trixie found Dan looking slightly ill.

"What is it? What's going on?" She looked around frantically trying to answer for herself. What her eyes found made her stomach twist with nausea and her knees felt weak as if they were about to give out, "It that-that-that as, is that a-"

Ben filled in the word she cold get out, "a body?"

* * *

**A/N: **So that was chapter five! I hope you enjoyed, and I don't think that was too long of a wait. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed (Oops, I already said that) and I would love for you to review. I always love to here what you think, what you liked, and what you didn't so I can get better.


	6. Chapter 6

**a/n: **Once again I am so sorry I took so long to update; school got a little overwhelming for a while. I now however have all summer, and have organized myself, so I promise that I will update again about once every week. I know I promised this before but this time I really, really mean it... and as always yell at me if you feel as if I'm getting behind.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything Trixie Belden related.

* * *

Trixie thought she was going to throw up; deep in the pit, where the pool should have been going, two empty holes stared up at her in a twisted replication of eyes. Trixie almost thought they looked like they were pleading with her, asking for help.

The skull, a dirty yellow colour was half buried in the dust; small pieces of old flesh and sinew were still hanging off it like forgotten pieces of meat; its hair was still there – thin, dead and lanky. All the teeth were glaring up at her in some eerie semblance of a smile.

All her mystery books had lied; in her head, Trixie had glorified finding a body. It was the cue-de-grae of the mystery world – a murder!

But now, now all she could see was the revolting mess a decayed body became and the sad truth that a life had been cruelly cut too short.

"Well," Trixie said unable to look away from the horrifying sight before her, "I guess we know why they wanted the workers to stop."

Although no one answered her she knew they were all thinking what she was – they'd almost rather it had stayed a mystery.

"How long do you think she-he," Ben cleared his throat uncomfortably, "it's been down there?"

Trixie gave a half-hearted shrug; his guess was as good as hers.

"I'd say a year; or there's about anyways," Dan pulled himself away from the gruesome scene and used his assured cop voice.

It made Trixie feel slightly more at easy; it allowed her to get some of her spunk back and started look at it like the mystery it was.

They knew what the notes meant now, but they didn't have any idea who sent them, or who did this, than before.

Murder, that was so much more than a mystery – it was a crime, a horrible heartless crime.

Trixie shivered unconsciously and felt an arm tighten around her waist.

She looked down and realized for the first time that she was leaning on Ben for support. She thought about moving away but she wasn't so sure she was completely good on her feet yet, and oddly enough, she didn't mind his proximity.

Trixie turned back up to the crowd; they all looked as shell-shocked as she felt and more than one of them wanted to look like they wanted to be somewhere else.

Before she had thought it could have been one of them; did she still think that now? Could she be living with a murderer?

She scanned the faces around her, looking for one that looked less shocked than the others – or perhaps more. She looked for anything to give them away.

There was nothing; they were all the perfect picture of innocence.

Desperate for any clue she searched again. There had to be something, some little thing that she was missing.

Her eyes traced everything in the scene.

And then she caught something in the forest behind everyone.

_What was that? _Trixie strained her neck trying to get a better glimpse.

She thought she saw something move.

She was turning and about to point it out to Dan when –

"What's going on?" Jim's voice boomed over the subdued murmuring, "What seems to be the—"

He stopped at the edge of the pit; his face paling making his red hair brighter and each freckle stand out on its own. It reminded Trixie, for a moment, of the time when they had first met and he had fallen off the ladder at Ten Acres.

Then a very improper word came out of Jim Frayne's mouth.

Before Trixie could express her surprise, more mayhem broke loose.

Brian followed Jim with Honey trailing behind him.

Panic alarms started going off in her head.

"Hey, Jim, what's going –?"

"Honey No!"

Trixie's warning came too late. Honey took one look into the hole and pitched backwards into Brain's arms in a dead faint.

The crowd suddenly rushed forward to her aid but Trixie held back.

She cared about her friend, but Honey was in better hands with Brian than with anyone else. They didn't need her hovering around.

With everyone paying attention to Honey it was the perfect opportunity to do some sleuthing.

She turned back towards the woods, where she last saw movement.

There was nothing there.

Disappointment surged through her, but Trixie was nothing if not persistent.

There had to be –

There!

Further up than last time she thought she saw something – a flash of pants perhaps?

With a sly look over her shoulder she took a step towards the woods. No one noticed. She took another.

She didn't want to attract the boy's attention. She knew what they'd say.

They would tell her she imagined it, or worse – they would think her a helpless girl and tell her to keep out of it. It wasn't safe.

She resented all those comments.

She wasn't crazy; she knew what she saw and just because she wasn't a boy didn't mean she couldn't do anything for herself. She was an adult now. She could take care of herself.

After two more cautious steps went unnoticed, Trixie increased her speed and was in the cover of trees in a few short minutes.

She only got a few step in though before she heard footsteps following her.

"Belden!" Ben all but yelled.

Trixie turned to him with a glare and put her finger to her lips.

"Belden," he hissed, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Following a lead, and if you don't keep it down you're going to make me loose it."

"'Following a lead'? What the heck does that mean?"

"It means I thought I saw someone in the woods."

"Who would be in the woods?"

Trixie turned to him with a Cheshire smile, "That's what I'm going to find out."

They walked on, Trixie trying to carefully avoid the twigs and Ben managing to hit every one.

"You know Belden, I've been thinking," Ben scurried forward so they were side-by-side. They huddled behind a bush, "This might not be such a hot idea – I mean anyone who thinks hiding in the bushes is a great idea, isn't someone I think I wish to meet."

"No one is making you meet them – you can go back anytime you want."

"And leave the fair maiden to face horrible doom alone," Ben gave her a wide-eyed look of hammed-up offended shock, "What kind of man do you take me for? That would be very knight like of me now would it?"

Trixie rolled her eyes but was working very hard to suppress a smile, "Do what you want, just be quiet – I think he's right over there."

They crept forward. Trixie's heart was in her throat. She felt as if she was so close, if only she could just get around –

"Well… you can't get them all," Ben said sympathetically as the stared at the empty clearing.

Trixie felt the sting of disappointment in the back of her throat, but she pushed it down. She wasn't about to give up that easily.

Silently she walked past Ben into the small clearing in front of them.

People could leave, but that didn't mean they didn't –

Ben jumped as Trixie let out a yell of triumph, "What? What is it?"

"Just this," Trixie pointed proudly at the patch of mud by her foot, "I told you I saw someone."

Ben gingerly made his way through the overgrowth to look down at the footprints.

"Well that's great Trix but…" he hesitated a moment, "You have no way of finding who that footprint belongs to. Anyone could have –"

"_I _don't need to do it. The police—" suddenly her blue eyes lit with uncontained excitement.

Without giving any real thought to it she grabbed Ben's hand and started pulling him back the way they came.

"The police can figure it out. Jim must have called them by now. If I can just –"

Trixie's words died as she came out of the woods.

The police had arrived, but Brian had also taken Honey inside.

Trixie let go of Ben.

Judging from the way the boys were glowering at her, they had figured out where she went, and they were about as happy about it as she thought they would be.

Somehow, even over the age of twenty, Trixie had managed to get herself into hot water, and now all she had left to do was hope that she hadn't dragged Ben into it too.

* * *

"In case you didn't notice Trix – that's a body out there; these aren't the little small-time criminals you're use to in Sleepyside!" Jim's voice rang through the almost empty cafeteria.

The energy in the room was mounting every second.

Although Dan, Mart, Diana and Ben were all in the room, the two yelling at each other in the middle were barely aware of it.

Trixie gave him a humorless laugh, "Small time? Do I need to remind you how much hot water I got myself into with those 'small time' crooks?"

"I'm aware of it already," Jim's voice shrunk to a decibel barely above a whisper, "Why do you think I care about this one so much?"

The sudden dissipation of his anger threw Trixie off.

She blinked a couple of times, unsure how to proceed. With the loss of Jim's anger, Trixie's own was slowly draining, being replaced by the usual skittish awkwardness she always had around Jim now-a-days.

"Well I…" she trailed off unsure of what she was going to say next, "I'm sorry."

"It's not a problem, sis – as long as you use your head from now on," Mart came over and ruffled her hair.

Irritated again she swiped at his hand.

"Look, Trix, just stay out of this one," Dan got up to follow Mart out of the room. "I'm not even on this case. Just let the guys in charge deal with it."

Trixie caught him at the door, "What about my clue?"

"They'll look at it, but you know as well as I do that it could be anyone's."

Trixie watched as he left.

Diana shrugged, "I think you're awfully brave Trix. I wish I was more like you sometimes."

Trixie smiled weakly at her as she too left.

Then it was only Trixie, Ben and Jim.

Trixie moved to sit beside Ben, who was flipping a coin in his hands, as Jim started walking back and forth.

He seemed to be mumbling to himself. Trixie wasn't sure if she had ever seen him look so unraveled, but she couldn't look away.

Suddenly, he stopped and turned to her, his green eyes heart-wrenchingly pleading.

"Trix… it's not that – I mean…" he ran a hand through his hair causing it to stand on end, "I just want—"

He cut himself off suddenly with a shake of his head, and walked out of the room with his head down, not giving her another glance.

The display left an odd empty feeling in her stomach.

_What had he been going to say?_ She had to fight the urge to follow him.

No matter how much he had hurt her, she was hardwired to not like seeing him such a mess. Jim Frayne was the capable one of the Bob-Whites, not the one that stalked across the room and left without finishing his sentences.

Funny how things changed.

Trixie leaned against the table with her arms crossed, "I just wish they could believe in me. I'm not a kid anymore. I'm a …"

Trixie wasn't sure what she was.

Ben set the coin down on the table and gave her a long appraising look.

"Maybe its all for the best if you leave this one alone," Ben gave her a sad smile knowing his words were going to hurt, "We wouldn't want anything to happen to that pretty little head of yours."

Trixie knew that Ben meant the last part as a compliment, but it was so close to the phrase that had enraged her at work, that she couldn't help but have some of the similar reaction now.

And suddenly she knew what she was going to do. She wasn't going to give up; she had never given up before – even when she had intended to.

So what if no one wanted her to investigate this? She would do it herself if she had to.

* * *

Days passed with no significant news. Trixie couldn't find anything important with her own investigation, and the most the police had turned up was that they had found a female. The still had no idea _who _it was.

That's why, when Jim announced that Ben and himself were going into the near by town to get some supplies she jumped at the opportunity to join them.

She was convinced that all the secrets to this place were to be found in town.

So with the excuse that she had letters to mail Trixie made her way into the truck cab to spend one awkward ride sandwiched between Ben and Jim.

"So, Trixie – Dan tells me you're working at the Police station," Ben said after a few minutes of awkward silence, "that must be exciting."

Trixie snorted, "Hardly – I spend all day filing and sorting for a bunch of men who think I'm too dumb to know anything."

"They're the ones who don't know anything," Jim muttered making Trixie blush and the cab fall into silence once more.

After about another ten minutes of the silence, only to be interrupted a couple of times for awkward small talk, they finally arrived at the town, and Trixie dived out of the vehicle thankful to be free.

They went to hardware shops and grocery stores, and it was starting to seem like Trixie had been wrong to suspect the town of knowing anything about her mystery until she went into the post office.

It was as she was walking out that a sign tact to the bulletin board caught her eye.

Stopping to take a closer look, her eyes widened in surprise, and her feet started to tap with suppressed excitement.

Pulling it off of the board she raced outside to where the boys were standing.

"How long did Dan say he thought the body was there for?"

"About a year or so," Ben answered promptly, "Why?  
Before she could answer Jim spoke up, "I thought you weren't going to get involved in this, Trix?"

Trixie ignored him, "What's the date today?"

"The 21st of September, in the year 1966 – Trixie, what's the point of all this?"

Trixie smiled and turned the flier around.

"I think I may have found our body."

**Missing: Jane Waltman**

**Since: Jun 30th 1965**

**If you have any knowledge please come forward.**

* * *

**A/N: **ok so I was looking at all the publishing dates of Trixie and the first one came out in like the late 40's and the last one I think somewhere in the 80's - So I just sort of picked a year that was sort of in the middle and I felt gave me a good Trixie vibe. And as always, please leave a review - I love to hear what you think. What you like what you didn't - constructive critisim wanted!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** So as promised, here is the next installment. It's a little on the short side, but personally one of my favourites so far. Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything in the Trixie universe. Just a happy loaner.

* * *

Between the words was a pictured of a slender girl, with blonde wavy hair that flowed down her back, and a kind open face.

The more that Trixie looked at the photo, the more she forgot her mystery induced excitement, and become queasier by the second. The photo made it real. Trixie wasn't playing a game; real people, a real life was gone.

With her hair and easy smile the girl almost reminded Trixie of –

"Looks a bit like Honey, doesn't she?" Ben asked taking the flier out of Trixie's hand to inspect it closer. Jim crowded closer, to look over his shoulder and Trixie began to pace, her thoughts racing.

It had to be Jane; Trixie felt it in her gut – but why? What could cause someone to murder such a sweet looking girl?_ Maybe, _Trixie thought, _maybe, she saw something she shouldn't have – like a robbery or-or a kidnapping! Maybe she saw another murder! _

Trixie let her imagination runaway with her, coming up with more and more elaborate scenes until the boys interrupted her.

"I should go phone the police about this." Jim gave both his companions a grave look.

Trixie hitched her thumb over her shoulder in the direction she had just come from, "I saw a phone in the post office."

"Excuse me," Jim nodded grimly and went into the building, leaving Ben and Trixie alone.

Ben continued to start at the photo, an odd expression growing over his face.

"It's strange to think that-that thing we accidently found could have been, probably was, this girl – alive and smiling only a year ago," Ben turned his gaze towards Trixie, "I mean, I knew that it had to have been someone- but to actually know- to have a face... it somehow makes it more sad than I thought it would be."

Trixie knew exactly what he was talking about, but before she could tell him so, a small brunette woman, who couldn't have been older than Trixie, probably a few years younger, came out of the post office, and started towards them.

"Excuse me," she walked over to them, an odd look of slight distress on her otherwise plain face, "excuse me, I'm sorry, but I saw you take that advert off the board, and then I saw your friend come in to use the phone. Forgive me for intruding, but I had to-hope that you wouldn't do that if your didn't-do you… do you know something, something about Jane?"

Trixie looked down at the flier, and then back up at the girl in front of her. She looked so desperate to know, it seemed unfair to keep her in the dark, and yet what if she was wrong? She couldn't rightfully tell this girl such awful news unless she knew it was the absolute truth, could she?

Trixie exchanged a look with Ben before holding out a hand to the girl, "I'm Trixie Belden, and this is my friend Ben Riker."

"Angela Bradshaw," the girl shook her hand gingerly, a look of confusion crossing her face, "I've never seen either of you before – what could you know of Jane?"

Trixie bit her bottom lip; Angela had a one track mind, of course, in this case, Trixie couldn't blame her.

"Our friend, the one who just went inside – he's Jim Frayne," Trixie went on with her introductions instead, ignoring her question, "Myself and some other friends of ours are staying with him for a few weeks; Ben here is working for him. He just bought some land a few miles over, a field over in, Peel County I believe."

Angela who had been getting paler as Trixie spoke couldn't keep in a gasp at this last bit of news, "not the old Baker land?"

"Why, yes – have you heard of it?" Trixie's sleuth senses began to tingle. Jim's new land obviously meant something to this girl – but what?

"Yes," the girl replied in a daze. Her voice was low, and appeared more to be thinking out loud rather than to be saying anything she intended for Trixie and Ben to hear, "we use to have parties there, but not since—no one saw Jane after that…"

She trailed of as Trixie and Ben shared a sharp glance. So Jane had been to the field the night she disappeared – it was the _last _place she had been seen.

It was starting to seem more and more like Trixie's hunch was right, but still…

Could she tell this girl what she thought? Should a complete stranger, of no significance, be the one she heard it from?

"So, you knew Jane then?" Trixie fished. Maybe if they were only acquaintances she could…

"We were the best of friends," Angela smiled sadly at them, "we had spent most of the night together – if only I hadn't lost her before Zachariah…"

Trixie couldn't tell this girl anything. If she was the police, or knew anything for sure, rather than a hunch… but she wasn't and she didn't.

"But what about _you _– what do you know of Jane?"

Trixie flung a desperate look at Ben; she couldn't tell this girl the truth, not until she was 100% sure, but she couldn't lie! And even if she did, what could she say that this girl would be likely to believe?

"Some of the builders that work for Jim live here, in town," Ben jumped in speaking for the first time, "I've heard a few mention a Jane in passing – I didn't want to pry into personal matters, but I must admit I was dying of curiosity. Trixie, knew this, so when she saw the poster…"

Ben trailed off and Trixie held her breath. Would she believe it?

Angela nodded her head slowly before slipping once more into a suspicious look, "but what about your friend – the one on the phone?"

"Jim? He just realized he'd forgotten his list – always a little scatter brained that one – and went to go call the school. He wanted to make sure his memory hadn't failed him, and he had managed to forget anything else. It's a bit of a drive into town you know."

The lies rolled off Ben's tongue as smoothly as if they were the truth. Trixie was caught between admiration and disapproval.

The final lie seemed to pacify Angela, and relief covered her features as, Trixie imagined, she realized there was no bad news. The relief was short lived though as the realization that there was also no good news over took it.

She shrugged and gave a sad little laugh, "Well, you know what they say, no news is good news."

"I'm sorry –" the rest of Trixie's apology was cut off as Jim came out of the store, and signaled for Ben and herself to join him at the truck, "We have to go now."

She started to follow Ben to Jim, only a thought struck her mid-step, and she stopped to turn around.

"Angela – who's Zachariah?"

The girl had mentioned the name in one of her half dazed rambles, but until that moment, it hadn't struck Trixie as someone to worry about. Now, however…

_If only I hadn't lost her before Zachariah…_

Surprise coloured the other girls face.

"You haven't met him yet? Zachariah Bates is an old hermit who lives in a small cabin in the woods around that clearing. He's thought to be harmless enough, but…" the girl stopped, and looked over both shoulders before continuing in a conspiratorial whisper, "the police thought that if foul play had happened to Jane, _God forbid_, it was Zachariah who'd done it."

* * *

It was a silent ride back to the school; each person was wrapped up in their own thoughts

Trixie, for her part, was caught up in finding a way to get to Zachariah. Now that things were started to fall into place, she couldn't just let go of her mystery. There was just no way – nothing the boys, or anyone else said was going to stop her.

And Zachariah was the next step; she could feel it in her bones.

There were only two problems before her. One was to sneak past the boys, to get to Zachariah, ant the other was finding him once she _was _past the boys. Angela had said nothing other than he lived somewhere around the school. As far as Trixie could calculate, there were miles of woods around the school. It would be as easy to maneuver through as the Wheeler's game preserve had been. A labyrinth – it was as good as trying to find a needle in a haystack.

The solution to one problem, unfortunately, lead to the other. She could confide in Honey with easy, but the other girl - who after her fainting spell was quite ready to leave this one up to the police – didn't know the area any better than Trixie did. Her guess would be as good as Trixie's. One more uninformed girl, although her best friend, wasn't going to help the situation.

The only person who would know where Zachariah would be the leader of her lynch mob if he found out she was sleuthing again – Jim.

As the truck turned a corner and the school came into view, Trixie cut a sly look at Ben.

He had been here almost as long as Jim – it was possible that _he_ knew…

He didn't seem as against her as the others. Could she trust _him_?

_Maybe _she wouldn't _have_ to. Ben didn't know her as well as the others. Was it possible for her to get what she needed without him being suspicious?

Jim got out of the car, grim determination etched into every one of his features, "I'll let the others know what we found… hopefully the police will be able to confirm it once they find DNA samples to compare it to."

Trixie hung back, watching Jim's back retreat. Pulling herself up onto the hood of the truck, she looked across the lawn at the bright police tape that glowed in the twilight.

For a brief moment she was caught up in the thought of what it must feel like to die, to be murdered. She had been so close many times in her life – more times than a girl her age should have been. She had felt the fear; she had been on the brink of losing hope, a couple of times she thought she had – but then someone had always been there to save her. The other Bob-Whites – _Jim_ – someone had always been there. She had never had that moment where she knew, truly knew, that it all had been completely and hopelessly lost.

She had never died.

"What do you think happens?" Trixie murmured to herself, unable to keep such serious thought in her head alone anymore, "when we die – what happens?"

"I don't know," Ben said, leaning on the truck beside her, making her jump. She had forgotten that he had been there, but suddenly his presence was oddly comforting, "I'd like to think there's somewhere you go – like they say, but I don't know. I don't know if I can actually believe that."

Trixie pulled her knees up, hugging them to her chest, and rested her chin on them.

"I think there's somewhere to go, something to see. I can't believe that all this could just end, suddenly – one second you're there, the next it's all over – I just can't believe that this is it."

They were silent; the late evening breeze blew across the field, picking up Trixie's hair and blowing it across her face.

She was startled a moment later, when a hand appeared, pulling the strains back to where they originally were, gently brushing her cheek as they did so.

"Not the trip you were expecting, when you agreed to come, huh?" Ben smirked slightly once he had put his hand back into his jacket pocket.

Trixie unconsciously started running her hands through the hair Ben had just moved, a slight smile playing on her face, "Not exactly."

They lapsed into silence once more.

"Earlier today, Angela mentioned someone named Zachariah," Trixie said slowly, not wanting to break the odd spell that had fallen over them, but at the same time feeling like it was necessary, "I wondered who he could be, what he has to do with all this?"

"She probably meant Zachariah Bates," Ben replied, a faint smile growing on his lips, "but then again, you already knew that."

Trixie looked startled, her checks started to colour with emotion, "How do you – I never—"

"I heard you ask her, Trix," the faint smile had now grown into a large, open one, "and even if I hadn't I'm not as stupid as I look."

"I didn't mean to-I just…" Trixie trialed off unsure of what to say next.

"You just wanted to solve this mystery, and," Ben held the word, making it sound more important than it was, creating a suspense for what was to follow, "you were hoping I was more willing to help you then other people around here."

"Are you?"

Ben sighed, the amusement gone from his features, "I meant what I said the other day – it's probably best if you – we all – just stay out of it. It's not safe to go meddling where violent people don't want you to be meddling."

Despite the calm tone, and the reasonability behind his words, Trixie set her features into a determined glare.

"That's fair – however, it's just as fair for me to tell you the truth that I'm not going to give up. I'm meant to do this – I'm sure of it… it's the only thing I'm sure of anymore," Trixie paused a moment, and then shook her head, "I'll find Zachariah with or without your help."

Sliding off of the car she started towards the building, and Ben, slightly stunned by the declaration was left staring after her.

When she was just beyond his sight, hidden by the shadows casted by the dying sunlight she stopped and turned around.

"You know, I was thinking – tomorrow would be a nice day for a ride, around lunch," there was just enough light for Ben to make out her Cheshire smile, "what do you think?"

With a flip of her hair, and a turn of her hips, she continued her walk, leaving Ben finally alone.

* * *

"Whoa there Sterling – that's a good boy," Trixie petted the large black horse's nose as she pulled him out of the stable.

She had him all roped up and was ready to go – and still there was no sign of Ben.

Trixie wasn't surprised. She had half expected that to happen. What she was surprised about was how disappointed that fact made her.

_Oh well,_ she thought haughtily,_ we can find it without his help, can't we Sterling_?

Petting the horse one more time, Trixie put her foot into he stirrup, and started to mount the horse.

Only to almost fall off when a voice behind her called.

"After all that, you were going to go off without me?"

* * *

**A/N: **So that was the chapters. I really hope you enjoyed it, and as always, reviews, are welcomed and wanted. Please tell me what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything; I am just borrowing it.

* * *

Ben was standing behind her, hands on his hips, a cheeky grin on his face. Despite having been tricked into it, he seemed to be having a good time.

Then again, Ben had a way about him that made it seem like he was always enjoying what he was doing.

"You came," the words, and an accompanying smile, were out of her mouth before she had even a moment to think about them. Like the disappointment of a few minutes prior, Trixie was surprised by _how _glad she was that Ben had actually shown up.

"I said it before – it wouldn't be very manly of me to leave the damsel all on her lonesome would it?"  
Trixie rolled her eyes, and endeavored to keep all her feelings down, and act more blasé as she should be.

"I needed a guide, not protection," Trixie responded, her dull tone just barely keeping down her amusement, "If you're going to do either, you might want a horse."

Ben just gave her another cheeky grin, and disappeared into the stable.

A few moments later, he had come back out again, leading a saddled mare behind him, and they were on their way.

They rode in silence for a long while, Ben slightly in front, and Trixie following.

"So," Ben casually threw back to her, "what exactly are we hoping to find from Zachariah?"

"I don't know exactly," Trixie replied slowly.

"You don't know?" Ben turned to raise a teasing eyebrow back at her.

Trixie huffed, her temper rising easily, "I don't know _what _he'll say, but I just know he'll _have _to say _something_ – he was here, that means he knows something we don't."

Ben made a sound in the back of his throat, that although fundamentally was supposed to be a sound of agreement, his air of complete amusement made it much more one of disagreement and teasing.

"That's how it works!" Trixie exploded, "you have to follow every hunch or you'll never find anything!"  
She found she had a sudden longing for Honey, who would be on her side no matter what, and she definitely wouldn't have to explain this to her.

But ever since the finding of the body, Honey and Di had been a little shaky on the thought of any mystery, especially this one. Trixie knew if she asked her, Honey would put it all aside for her, but Trixie didn't want to put her friend through that.

Besides, Ben seemed to be coming around – she hoped.

"Why is this so important to you? Why do _you_ have to solve this mystery?" Ben's voice wasn't accusatory; he truly wanted to know the answer.

Trixie paused. People had always teased her about her gum-shoeing, and when she got herself into some hot water they always asked her those questions imploringly, not really looking for an answer, but trying to convince her of the exact opposite – that she didn't need to solve the mystery.

But no one ever really wanted to know. They either took her for what she was, or wished she would change – no one ever really tried to understand.

Now that someone was, Trixie wasn't sure _she _completely understood.

"Don't you just want to know?" she finally asked, "I guess, when it all comes down to it, I just want to know… so I find out." They rode on a bit more, and another thought struck her, "I like when I help people; one time we found $1000 left by a sailor for his widow and son. He had hidden it before he had died, and his wife knew nothing about it. The money helped the boy pay for his school without leaving for a year… he became a doctor… we still get letters from them sometimes."

Trixie didn't say anymore, but the smile from that memory, and others like it, remained on her face.

"You have a big heart Trix," Ben said making her blush. He looked like he was about to say something else when the horses trotted through the tree line into a modest sized clearing with two small buildings on it. It reminded Trixie a lot of Mr. Maypenny's home back at the Wheelers.

"Her we are. What are you—?"

Ben's words were lost as the doors of the larger building burst open and a hunched over, withered old man came out holding a shot gun. His clothes were faded, but clean looking, and if Trixie had to guess, she would say he had to be somewhere in his eighties.

Trixie's eyes widened at the sight of the gun, and for a moment she could see how someone could suspect this man of murder. That thought, however, was quickly replaced by a guilty one when she realized this man reminded her of Jim's uncle and she recalled how she had miss judged him.

"What are yous a-doin' on me land?"

Ben, calm as if he didn't have a gun pointed at him, held his hands up, "Mr. Bates, we're sorry to bother you – I don't know if you remember me. My names Ben Riker, I work for your neighbor, Jim Frayne."

The old man eyed them both suspiciously before pointing his rifle in Trixie's direction.

"Who's the girlie?"

Trixie introduced herself as Jim's friend, and the old man lowered the rifle slightly, but only slightly. The look of distrust never left his face. He was always on guard.

"What-d-yah want?"

"We wanted to talk to you," Ben responded smoothly, "about Jane Waltman."

Suddenly, Zachariah's rifle was pointed steadily once more.

"I told those coppers – I didn't do nuttin' to that girlie."

Trixie urged her horse forward slightly, "And we don't think you do. We just want to know if you know something, _anything_, about it. You do know something, don't you?"  
He continued his suspicious glowering for a long moment, glancing between Trixie, and then Ben, and then back again.

Finally he lowered his weapon completely.

"Tie yur hoss over there," he pointed a lazy hand in the direction of the small building which Trixie assumed was a barn, and he wandered back into the one he came out of, expecting them to follow when they were done.

"I told them hooligan's nuttin' good would come of playin' in them here woods – but not a one of them listen to old Zachariah. Then when trouble come a callin' who did they come a-blamin'?"

Trixie slowly seated herself beside Ben at a rickety old table, and looked around the room as the older man spoke.

It was small, smaller than Mr. Maypenny's, but better kept than she had been expecting. The room that they were in now seemed to serve as a dual Kitchen-living room, and was very well kept indeed. Every item seemed to have its own place, if covered by a thin film of dust. But who was Trixie, who hated dusting herself, to blame someone else for not doing it?

"They should have listened," Ben was saying diplomatically, "Might not be in the mess they're in now."

"Mr. Bates –"

"It's Zachariah girlie, ain't been no Mr. Bates in a long time."

Zachariah up to this point had been bustling around the room. Now he sat, placing a clean, if slightly chipped, mug in front of each of them, and a tarnished coffee pot in the center of the table.

Ben filled his cup, but Trixie was too excited to do anything of the sort.

"Zachariah," she said beginning her question once again, "I'm not sure if you're aware of this – but the other day the workers dug up a – a body. And although the police have yet to confirm it, we believe it belongs to Jane – so you can see, it would be really helpful if we could know anything you remember from that night."

The old man's face saddened, his clear blue eyes taking on a look of deep sympathy.

He sighed, "Always thought that no good had a-come to that there girlie. A sad thing it were; always such a sweet girlie, she were… one of the better ones – respected me and me land. Not like that no good boy of hers."

"Boy?" Trixie's ears peaked up. She shared a glance with Ben; as Mart would say, the plot as thickening.

"That no good Colter boy," Zachariah nodded a look of disgust on his face, "his daddy owns half of town – gets to his head I say. That girlie was too sweet for a rotten apple like that."

Ben's face had shifted slightly at the mention of 'Colter', "Did Colter have a first name?"

"Thomas – he were Thomas Colter III, just like his daddy, and Grand-daddy. A pompous bunch of blubbers the lot of 'em."

"Thomas… Thomas Colter," Ben continued to mumble the name to himself, but when it appeared to Trixie he wasn't going to share his train of thought with her, she proceeded to ignore him.

"Did you see Thomas that night? There was a party here wasn't there?" Trixie was bursting with energy; she was so close to something she could feel it. She just had to peel back enough wrapping to reveal it.

"Oh yes sirree, theys were havin' a big shindig that there night. Something about graduation." Trixie stopped a moment, remembering how her own graduation party had gone. _I guess things could be worse, _Trixie thought sadly, _Jane didn't survive hers. _

"And Thomas – her boyfriend?—was he there?"

"Yup to both those there accounts – those I'm nones too sure he was her sweetheart when that there night was done," Zachariah smiled mysteriously.

Trixie nearly jumped out of her seat with anticipation. As it was she started bouncing her legs, "Why's that? What happened?"  
"Well now, if I remembers correctly – which I knows I does – I walked up on them two in quite the argumentation. I couldn't hears any words, but I don't want to, I'm no snoop; but the boy there was piping mad, that he were. Yellin' and screamin' like nobodies business. And his girlie there just let him have at 'er. I don't much appreciate the ruckus they weres making so close to me abode, and so's I told them so. That's when your girlie there stormed off, but the boy…" Zachariah trailed off for a long moment and Trixie thought she would die from the wait, but she could also tell that this time, Zachariah needed the moment to collect himself. "I've been alive a long time Girlie – lived through two wars, fought in the first one I did, and a depression between 'em, and I can tell you something about Man… When they look like that there boy did… violence is never far from their minds."

The statement hung in the air for a long moment. Trixie's excitement at finding a new lead mingled with the sickening realization that someone could actually do such a thing. Take a life with their own hands. Trixie could never imagine being so mad.

Finally Ben spoke up, "Thank you Zachariah, for your time, and knowledge, but we have to be heading back now."

Zachariah showed them to the door, and in complete reversal to their entrance, claimed them nice children, and welcomed them back anytime.

It was a silent ride back to the school. Trixie spent the time wondering over what she had just heard. Could Thomas have done such a thing – to someone he was supposed to love? Then again, she thought back to the argument Zachariah had seen – _those I'm nones too sure he was her sweetheart when that there night was done_ – Trixie knew better than most the kind of choices a broken heart makes.

"You and Ben went off to find out about that body, didn't you?" Honey cornered T

* * *

rixie that evening while they were all having a small camp fire, "And don't you dare lie to me Trixie Belden."

"I didn't think you wanted me or anyone else to solve this mystery… I thought you felt like everyone else," Trixie said, a note of hurt mingling with her tone, and her eyes wide with surprise.

"Maybe I do, but that doesn't matter, we're partners; we do these things together," she said stubbornly, "I don't want to lose you so soon after getting you back.

Trixie smiled at Honey's determined profile illuminated in the fire's glow. She had thought it before, and she was sure she would have reason to think it again: Honey was the most wonderful girl in the world, and she really didn't deserve her.

Quickly and quietly, so no one else would hear, Trixie filled Honey in on everything she had learned so far.

"Oh my goodness!" Honey gasped, eyes wide, when Trixie was done, "Do you thing he did this… that a boy could…"

Trixie shrugged, "Someone had to have done it, and most murders are done by someone the victim knew."

Honey nodded slowly, letting that fact sink in, and get past her usual reflex to see good in everyone.

"What were they arguing about?" she finally asked, "What could someone say to make someone so mad?"

Trixie had been thinking those same questions all afternoon, and presently had a long list of answers, and in usual Trixie fashion, they got more and more outlandish as she went.

"Obviously she must have been breaking up with him… maybe he hurt her, or he cheated and got caught, maybe _she _cheated," Trixie paused a moment, a lump forming in her throat as she glanced across the fire at Jim. She swallowed the lump away and went on, "or _maybe _she could have been _in trouble._" When Honey looked confused she lowered her voice, and put her hand on her lower abdomen, "you know _womanly _trouble."

Honey's eyes widened as she gasped, "Trixie! Don't' even suggest such a thing… it's not proper."

"I'm just saying that it's a possibility," she shrugged, "and if Thomas didn't want—"

Ben pushed his way into the gap between the two of them with an odd glint in his eye, "Not interrupting, am I?"

Honey shoved her cousin playfully, but Trixie was caught up by the look on his face.

"What do you know?" Ben knew something; he had to with that look.

"Remember back at Zachariah's when I was caught up by the name Thomas Colter?" Trixie nodded and Honey started at him solemnly, "well I was sure I knew it from somewhere, but I couldn't figure it out at the time."

Trixie's eyes widened with excitement, "and now?" she as having trouble keeping her voice low.

"Now I remember," Ben said somberly, pulling out a piece of paper. Trixie squinted in the faint light the fire was giving. It looked like an employee file, an employee file with the name Thomas Colter III at the top.

Trixie and Honey both turned to Ben in confusion.

"He's right here, working for Jim – he's on the property at this moment."

* * *

**A/N: **and so that was the next chapter. I really hope you enjoy it. I know for you Jim fans I didn't get much Jim in there this time, but don't worry, I should get back to him soon. Anyways, as always reveiw, tell me what you liked, didn't like, your favourite or least favourite lines/part, what I can improve on. I want to hear it all! So give it to me! Thanks for reading.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **As always, I do not own anything. I am just borrowing the Trixie world to add a new little part to it.

* * *

"Oh my," Honey gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth as her face paled, "He's-he's_ here? Now?_"

"Well, I might have over played that a bit," Ben said sheepishly, "most of the workers do go home in the evenings, so no, he's not here right _now _but he will be come morning."

At the news that she wasn't in immanent danger Honey calmed considerably, and although Trixie wouldn't admit it, she felt a lot safer than she had before Ben amended his statement.

"Well that's better," Honey shuttered, "I don't like the idea of a murderer hiding in the dark… though I suppose that's unfair of me; this man might be perfectly innocent."

Trixie didn't think so, and her gleaming blue eyes said so. She was on the cusp of something big, and she knew it.

All the clues she had now – albeit she had very few clues – pointed to Thomas. A lover's quarrel gone wrong; it was almost poetic in its own way – tragic, but poetic.

And if Thomas had been here all along...

Trixie grabbed Ben's arm in sudden excitement, "Do you think Thomas could be the person I saw in the woods?"

It was all fitting together; Thomas had motive – he was anger with her, for what Trixie didn't know yet – and opportunity – if the two had snuck off to the woods once than they could easily have done it again. Who would notice if Jane hadn't come back this time? It was dark and lots of people would have been around.

Now all she needed was proof – evidence or a…

"I need to talk to Thomas – tomorrow," she hissed to the other two, "I have to find him tomorrow."

"Trixie!" Honey gasped, fear jumping into her eyes.

Ben's face didn't look much different.

"Now Trix," he started hesitantly, "I don't know if that's such a good idea; this man might actually be a murderer; it wouldn't be safe for you—"

"Gleeps Ben! I'm not going to wander off in the woods with him and say I think you killed your girlfriend. I just want to ask him a few questions. What is he going to do in broad daylight with tons of people around?"

Ben still looked hesitant, "I guess… but what if—"

"I'm going to talk to him, no matter what anyone says. You know that. I'm not a baby that can be ordered around."

"If Trixie's going, I'm going," Honey said, pushing aside any fears she might have, loyal as ever.

Ben looked between the two girls on either side of him, his look of concerned hesitation morphing into amused resignation.

"I've followed Belden this far, might as well see what she manages to dig up next."

Honey clapped and grabbed his shoulder, "You sound just like a Bob-White!"

They went on to tease each other as family will, but Trixie was no longer listening.

Jim was staring at her – the three of them really – across the fire. She couldn't read his expression but she had a sneaking feeling that they – she – had been caught.

Talking to Thomas tomorrow might not be as easy as she had thought it was going to be.

* * *

"Trixie, wait up a sec!" Trixie's heart froze as the voice behind her sent her tumbling through several emotions – excitement, pain, fear, and then finally an irritated disappointment.

There was no way that Jim Frayne would let her talk to Thomas Colter if he knew what she did about him.

So it was important that Jim never found those things out – preferably he would never know about Thomas Colter at all.

"Yes Jim?" she turned to face the man who broke her heart with the most innocent smile she could muster.

In the past Jim's disapproval of some of her sleuthing had left her with mixed feelings. She was irritated that he didn't approve or believe in her dream, but she also had the knowledge that he was only doing it because he cared about her.

And the knowledge that he cared for her left a warm, happy, tingly feeling in her stomach.

At least it use to.

"It's just that I haven't seen much of you," Jim looked across the yard, avoiding her gaze, and Trixie could see his jaw clenching. He had never been that good at lying, "You, Honey and Ben seemed to be having an interesting conversation last night."

Now his concern left a bad taste in her mouth and an ache in her heart. She almost wished that Jim was on of those men who left his problems for someone else to deal with – left his ex's for someone else.

If he stopped caring it would hurt less – at least that's what Trixie told herself.

But if he stopped caring he would stop being Jim – and that thought seemed to break Trixie's heart further than it already had been.

"We were – it's a shame you couldn't have joined us."

Trixie smiled at him – daring Jim to say what he actually meant. He was trying to be polite, but Trixie didn't want polite.

Polite got them into this problem in the first place.

She wanted…

Well, she didn't know what she wanted.

"What were you talking about?"

"Oh you know this and that," Trixie waved her hand airily, "one of those things that seems important at the time, but rather silly in day light."

Although her tone was airy and light, Trixie's expression was anything but.

They had both fibbed now, prancing around what they both knew they were really talking about.

It was a stand off, each staring the other down. The air sizzled with tension.

Trixie did something she hadn't been able to do in a long time.

Look Jim Frayne in the eye and hold that gaze. Now she was so full of other emotions she hardly gave it a thought.

Until, that is, she registered what she saw there in his honest green eyes.

Of course, there was the red-headed anger that she had expected, but it was covering up much more important emotions – fear, concern, pain – there was a lot of pain – and could it be? No she was imagining it – there couldn't be, shouldn't be-

Trixie's heart gave a painful twist, and she turned away, unable to look at him any longer.

"I'm sorry Jim, but Honey and Ben are—"

"It's dangerous-things could-you could… It's dangerous."

Trixie stopped mid-step, and peaked over her shoulder. His eyes were blazing with emotions Trixie couldn't look at.

"I know," she said quietly turning away from him, "but I can take care of myself."  
"I know."

Trixie's head snapped back over her shoulder. Those two words had been spoken so low, and yet filled with so much emotion. They somehow managed to cover so many other words that had been left unsaid.

Jim, with his shoulders sagging and face drawn, looked defeated, yet his eyes told a different story.

A story Trixie didn't want, couldn't hear.

"Jim I- I ca-" Trixie shook her head unable to get any words out of her mouth. "I'm sorry."

With those two words she turned here head, and walked away, completely shaken to the core, but pretended that she had never felt better.

* * *

"Is he here? Did I miss anything?" Trixie covered her overflow of unwanted emotions by throwing herself into the investigation with extra enthusiasm.

"Do you think we would dare question him without you?" Ben asked his voice heavy with amused exasperation, "This is you shindig, Sheriff."

Trixie gave him a 'what am I to do with you' sort of smile and stepped up to Honey who immediately wrapped her arm through Trixie's, "Are you alright Trix? You look a little shaky."

Trixie looked from Honey to Ben who instead of making a joke, or at least make some gesture to indicate he didn't know what Honey was talking about, looked at her appraisingly.

"Have you finally realized how dangerous this could be? You know you don't have to do this."

Was her… it wasn't quite an argument, but not a normal discussion either, with Jim that obvious? Trixie had hoped that she had reached a point where he wouldn't affect her so.

Maybe they would never reach that point.

"No I haven't and yes I do," Trixie said rather haughtily to Ben before turning to Honey, "I'm fine, really."

Honey shrugged and smiled, "Well, I'm a little scared."

"As you should be," Ben ruffled her hair exactly the way he knew she hated, "But since there is no talking Belden out of anything, let us not waste anymore time."

Looping her arm through Trixie's free one, he led the two over to the large wooden frame the workers had moved on to after the pool had become a crime scene. Jim said it was going to be a gym type building.

"Colter!" Ben raised his voice to yell at a well built boy with straggly dark hair and an admittedly handsome face, "Front and centre, if you please!"

The boy nodded, signaling one of the other workers to take his end of the long piece of wood he was carrying.  
Trixie's heart picked up with each step that brought Thomas Colter closer to her – she could taste the excitement on her tongue; all thoughts of her non-fight with Jim left her head.

Honey's grip tightened on her arm, and Trixie absentmindedly patted her hand.

This was it, so close.

"What's up, sir?"

Up close, Thomas didn't look like a murderer – in face he didn't look that different from Brian, Dan or even Ben standing beside her.

Tall, dark and handsome, he looked like someone who would date someone as beautiful and kind as Jane Waltman was said to be. He looked like a boy on the cusp of manhood, speaking politely to his boss.

But Trixie couldn't let that thought get to her – looks can be deceiving.

"Why don't you take a quick break; these girls wish to have a small chat with you," Ben said looking more serious than Trixie could remember seeing him. It was still surprising her that when she looked at him, she found a mature – if fun loving—man where the childish boy had once stood.

Thomas looked suspiciously at Honey and Trixie, "Me, why?"  
"Just walk with us." Ben's tone said that the matter was closed.

Looking like he wanted to do anything but, yet didn't want to get in trouble with his superior, Thomas trailed sullen beside them.

Ben, who had placed himself firmly between Thomas and the girl, kept sending him stern glances.

"Thomas," Trixie started slowly, for once thinking before she acted, or in this case spoke, "What do you know about what happened to Jane Waltman?"

Thomas froze, and looked like he wanted to bold, but Ben but a strong hand on his arm, holding him in place.

"I don't know what you're talking about," his voice was as stiff as his posture. Thomas wasn't any better at lying than Jim.

Trixie sighed, "We know you were her girlfriend, and we know you were both here that night – so tell us what happened."

"It was a party – a lot of things happened. I can't remember anyone specific detail."

"Your girlfriend disappeared that night; I think you'd remember that. You had a fight with her before that happened; I'd think you'd remember that too."

Thomas's shoulders bristled, "You seem to know a lot already; what do you need me for?"

"We want to hear _your _story," Honey smiled kindly at him.

He stared at her kind open face for a long moment, and something flickered across his face. Trixie wondered if, at least for a moment, he was realizing how similar she looked to Jane.

Finally his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Yeah, we were here, and yes we had a fight," Thomas grumpily pulled his arm out of Ben's grip and pulled a box of cigarettes out of his pocket, "what of it?"

Trixie wrinkled her nose as he lit up a smoke, but didn't say anything on it. She didn't want to get off the topic at hand.

"What were you fighting about? Word is you were pretty angry."

"Is it now?" Thomas slowly took a drag from the light, and then blew the smoke out just as slowly, "And what does it mater to you? What difference will it make?"

"Why don't you humor her?" Ben gave him a hard start, and pulled the cigarette out of his hand, grounding it out under his foot.

Thomas returned the glare for a long moment before speaking.

"That airhead friend of hers, Alice, no Angel-something came up to me with some nosy story about seeing Jane with some guy that wasn't me."

Trixie nodded, for a moment an image of Jim and _that girl _flashed into her head. She could see how someone would react to that.

"That must have made you pretty mad."

"Would if it was true," Thomas shrugged, "Angela was always coming up with stories like that."  
"So it wasn't true?"

"Oh, it was – I took Jane into the woods to have a little talk about it. Broad didn't even bother denying it."

"So you got upset then?"

"You bet I did."  
"Didn't you want to do something about that?" Trixie asked slowly, excitement jumping through her limbs. This was it, "Make her feel how you felt?"

Thomas stopped; his gaze hardening as he looked at her.

"What exactly are you saying?"

"I'm not saying anything."

"You're implying it."

"Am I?" Trixie blinked at him innocently.

Thomas's face contorted, his eyes sparking and face turning red.

"Trixie," Ben's voice was low, a warning.

"I may have been mad at her, but I would never, _never _do something like that; I cared about her; I'm an innocent man."

Thomas glowered at Trixie, his voice low, calm, dangerous.

Ben repeated his warning and Honey added hers to it. Their pleas were reasonable and at any other time Trixie may have listened to them, but this wasn't any other time.

She was still out of whack from Jim, and more than anything she had this deep burning desire to prove herself.

She wasn't a foolish girl. She was a detective and she could handle herself.

"An innocent man doesn't hide in the woods when a body is being found." She was bluffing of course. She had no proof that Thomas had been the one in the woods.

His face paled and shoulders sank, "You saw me?"

He didn't have to know that though.

Trixie nodded, "So explain to me why an innocent man would feel compelled to hide?"

"How would you feel if you found a body in the exact place you last saw your girlfriend before she disappeared for more than a year?" He was no longer being defensive; he was just a broken person telling his sad tale, "I couldn't take it – images just kept flashing before my eyes. I thought it best to just get away rather than-than…"

Trixie was quiet. She had been so sure… she didn't know how to handle this twist. Was he lying? He didn't seem like it. It would be heartless to treat such a confession as if it were false, but Trixie, so set in her desire to get proof, didn't know how else to treat it. So she didn't say anything.

"Of course," Honey, however, was always ready to be sympathetic. She was always ready to see the good in people. She laid a comforting hand on his arm, "No one could expect you to do anything more."  
Her sympathy made him cave further.

"Yes, at first, when she told me, I was mad, but that was just my pride more than anything else. We had been running in that direction for months – I just didn't want to admit it, and then to hear it from _Angela_," Thomas shook his head, "I always thought, more like hoped, that she'd just left town – that's what I always told myself is what happened… but then this…"

Thomas's voice died as his eye began to swim. Trixie no longer had the heart to interrogate him but she had one more question.

"Do you know Angela saw her with? Who did she say?"

Thomas's face darkened for a moment, "Dylan Marks, the black sheep of our graduating class; you'll find him at his dad's hardware store if your looking to ambush him too." Thomas gave a snort, "For all his rebellion he ended up exactly where he said he didn't want to be, where the rest of us are. Right where we started."

* * *

**A/N: **As always, that was the new chapter, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. You also know the drill from here on out, please review! I love to hear from you, really and truely. I want to hear everything you think, what you liked, what you didn't, favourite parts or least favourite, thoughts, hunches, guess on what's going to happen to next, and of course, anything you think I need to improve on. Constructive Critisism is the only way I'm going to get better! Thank you again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything.

* * *

"We're going to go find this Dylan fellow, aren't we?" Ben asked tiredly as they made their way back to the main building.

"If you think I'm just going to give up you don't know me very well, Benjamin Riker."

"I think we should find him as soon as possible," Honey spoke up.

Ben gasped elaborately, "Es-tu, Honey? My sweet, sweet cousin, what has she done to you?"

Laughing, Honey shoved him, causing him to stumble into Trixie on his other side – who was surprised to find herself blushing as she disentangled herself.

"So," Ben cleared his throat, he seemed a little unsettled himself, "when are we going to do this?"

Trixie grinned mischievously, "There's no time like the present."

"What—"

"Wait right here," Trixie told them before dashing off.

"Trixie!"

"I'll be right back."

"Dan," Trixie found her roommate in Jim's office, "I need- are you doing work? I thought this was supposed to be your vacation."

Dan gave her a chagrined smile, "It is but… what can I say once a cop, always a cop."

Trixie walked around so that she was leaning on the desk, beside Dan, "What are you working on. I wouldn't think they'd send you anything from New York out here."

"Well," Dan had the decency to blush, "You see, since I knew the land the police here asked me to do some work on the Waltman case."

Trixie pursed her lips at this news.

"But it's just paper work. I'm not doing a thing dangerous."

She thought for a moment about pointing out how unfair it was that he could work on the case but she couldn't, but in the end she decided against it. Creating an argument with Dan would work against her goal.

"I need the car. Do you have the keys?" she figured, since Dan had driven them here, and their car had stayed in pretty much the same spot since, he had kept the keys on himself. She certainly did not have them.

Dan's bashful look at being caught working on a case he had told her to stay out of, turned into one of suspicion. Trixie held her breath; he certainly wouldn't give her the keys if he knew the truth. He was as much against her 'snooping' right now, as Jim was.

Men, honestly, the pair were hypocrites.

"What do you need it for?"

Trixie began to fiddle with a pen on the table, "Honey and I need to get some things in town."

It scared Trixie a little at how easily the lie came off her tongue, but in the end being a detective was like poker. She had to bluff some to get what she needed. Dan had every right to call her bluff.

She just hoped he didn't.

"Why can't Jim just get it for you next time he's in town? I heard him say he was going back soon."

"Honey and I just want to get out for a while, is that such a problem?" Trixie threw her hands up in mock-offence, then an idea came to her, "and besides, the things we need to get… Jim or any man really, wouldn't be _comfortable _getting them."

At that, Dan didn't push it any further. Giving her one last look, he sighed and admitted that they were in his room.

Thanking him, Trixie jumped off the desk in such a rush that she knocked one of the several framed photographs off of it.

As she bent to pick it up, she froze.

It wasn't just a family photo, or perhaps another one of the Bob-Whites, like she had thought.

Her heart twisted painfully, and she had to bat her eyes several time to keep back tears.

It was one of her and Jim, from her graduation. She remembered taking that photo; she remembered how happy, excited… content she had felt. She assumed they had both felt.

They had been so naive.

They had never seen all of this coming.

"Trixie?" she jumped and stepped quickly over the photograph. She wanted nothing to do with it. She turned at the door and dared Dan to comment on it, to say anything. Finally his shoulders sag and he sighed, "Be careful."

Trixie smiled, "I will."

"So, Belden, what's the plan here?"

Trixie checked her blind spot to change lanes before responding, "Get to town, find Marks… and from there, I don't know."

Ben sitting in the middle of the back seat, and leaning forward so that his head was between Honey and Trixie snorted, and shook his head, a bemused smile upon his face.

"That is always your plan isn't it? No plan?"

"I think that Trixie's plans are simple brilliant," Honey defended her friend, giving her cousin a glare.

Ben put up both his hands defensively, "Hey, I never said there was a problem with it; I was merely confirming that that was they way her brain worked. I need to find out the formula for this genius."

Trixie shook her head ruefully as the car started rolling past the first signs of town.

"Does anyone know where the hardware store would be?" Trixie asked as the stopped at a red light.

Honey shook her head – a hardware store wasn't something she would know about, even if she had been to town before.

"It's not that big of a place," Ben said, "As far as I know there is only the one."

Trixie followed his directions until they were parked in front of the store she remembered stopping at the last time she had come into the town with Ben and Jim.

Briefly she wondered if Dylan had been there last time. She couldn't remember anyone that had stood out, seemed suspicious, but she should know by now that not every criminal looks like one. In fact more don't than do.

Just as Honey was about to go through the door it came crashing open with a ding. The woman's long brown hair was creating a veil around her face, but Trixie was sure from the hunch of her shoulders and quick pace that she was rather distressed.

"Excuse me," kind-hearted Honey said, reaching out to rest a hand on her arm, "Are you al—"

The woman whirled on Honey, her eyes widening and face going deathly pale for a moment before her eyes seemed to focus on something else, and her gaze then moved to Ben and rested on Trixie.

"You!" Her eye's flared with recognition and some other strong emotion – Pain, anger, fear? "You knew didn't you? Didn't you!"

"Angela—" Trixie started to say but stopped as the woman dove forward grabbed some of Trixie's shirt and pulled her closer.

"Tell me what you know! Why were you—?"

Trixie was quite relieved when suddenly Angela was thrust away from herself and Ben, of all people, was placed firmly between the two.

"We're sorry for whatever is upsetting you, but I'm only going to tell you once – keep your hands to yourself," Ben's tone, although fundamentally calm, held a hard undertone, that was quite obviously a threat.

Trixie blinked from her knew position behind him, stunned at the sudden display of … _Protectiveness? _What did Ben feel he had to protect? And why did she like that he did?  
But as the shock of the act wore off – and her own confusion – her brain started to piece together exactly what Angela had just said.

"You," Trixie said, pausing a moment to rest a warning hand on Ben's arm and step in front of him once more, "You found out about Jane, didn't you?"

Angela blinked at her for a few moments then the emotion, which ever one it had been, drained away from her face and she seemed to sag slightly.

"I just—the police just—it's a small town—her body," she sobbed slightly at the end.

Trixie nodded, "And when you saw me, you remembered the other day when—"

"Yes, I just got so –" Angela in her excitement started to shuffle forward, and in an instant, Ben was there glaring her back in place.

Once more Trixie flashed him a startled look, but she was more surprised by the soft tingling feeling it created in her stomach.

"I'm sorry we lied to you," Trixie apologized once everything had calmed once more, "But at the time we weren't sure that – well you know. I –we, thought would be unkind to… if it turned out we were wrong."

Angela nodded slowly, "That's perfectly reasonable, I am so sorry I lashed out at you. It's just I always hoped that… and now," her voice squeaked and she had to take a deep calming breath before continuing, "The police haven't told you anything, have they? About who could have-" she couldn't continue.

Trixie waited for her to get a hold of herself, before she told her that she knew nothing more than she had last time.

"We're sorry for your loss," Honey said after a moment.

"Thank you," she murmured, "you know, you look a bit like her. When I first saw you…"

She trailed off, and shook her head before making an excuse and leaving.

"I don't like her," Ben claimed as soon as she was out of ear shot.

"She just lost her best friend!" Trixie defended, "How do you expect her to react?"

"Its no excuse for assaulting you."

"Assault!" Trixie laughed, "She wrinkled my shirt a bit Ben – nothing else." She had chose to forget how unnerved she had been when it had all been happening.

"Let's go talk to Dylan," Honey interrupted suddenly, cutting the odd tension that was beginning to surround the other two.

Trixie gave Ben one last long stare before nodding her head.

The bell above the door jingled as it was opened. Trixie turned to ask where they should look first but Ben was already pointing towards the back checkout where there was a worker – a young man with red, brown hair combed and greased back into a complicated swirl. He was scrawny and sullen, looking very out of place in the neat hardware store and bright red apron that was his uniform.

"Excuse me," Trixie walked up to him, "We're looking for Dylan Marks, do you know–"

"I know what you want, and you're not getting it."

Trixie blinked at him, stunned at his quick bitter tone. She had to bite back the automatic snark that it brought up in her. A fleeting image of Dan when he had first come to Sleepyside popped into her head.

"Hey buddy," Ben set his hands down hard on the counter, "watch your tone."

Dylan, for that was obviously who this boy was, glared at him, "This is my place; I'll speak as I wish – especially to no good snoops like you."

Again Trixie bit back her irritation. She was always going on about how she was an adult, now she was going to prove it. Besides, she had completely botched the case with Dan because she let his attitude get to her.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Trixie tried to blink innocently at him.

"You don't do you?" Dylan sneered, "You're in here to try to make me say that I killed her because that's what that candyassed tool Colter said. But I don't gotta tell you nuttin'. You ain't the fuzz."

"Thomas didn't say anything of the kind."

Dylan snorted, "Yeah right – it always got to him that his girlfriend liked me better; he didn't even know her."

"And you did?"

"Yes – she was special, different. Not like everyone thought, more like me. I thought that we would—" Dylan stopped suddenly, his face hardening again, "Hey, don't you go trying to trick stuff outta me! Get out of my store! Out!"

Trixie hesitated a moment. Dylan had been opening up, she had been getting somewhere – somewhere she desperately wanted to be. But she also knew how to recognize a lost cause. Dylan didn't want to talk.

But why? What was he trying to hide?

Nodding her head, she pushed herself away from the counter, "Sorry to have bothered you; thank you for your time."

"Do you think he did it?" Honey asked as they came out of a restaurant later that day. They had decided to spend the afternoon in town and grab dinner there. "He was certainly acting odd."  
"Dylan definitely didn't want to talk to us," Trixie agreed looking at a green car coming up in her review mirror, "But that doesn't necessarily mean he did it – we know the type Honey. Young, angry, out to prove something, remember Dan?"

"I don't like him," Ben commented sullenly from the back seat.

Trixie looked at him, and the green car, in the mirror, "Did you like anyone today?"

Ben perked up instantly, giving her his usual cheeky smile.

"I always like you."

Blushing Trixie decided to ignore his jest, and focus on the road. The green car was getting closer to them.

"So you think Dylan's innocent Trix?" Honey asked, giving her cousin an odd look.

"I honestly don't know," Trixie mused, flicking her eyes to the mirror again. She didn't like how close, or how fast the green car was coming up to them, "I don't know why he would do it. Thomas had motive, Jane seemed to have been leaving him for Dylan. If that's the case, then why would—"

Her words were lost in the yell of surprise and squeal of tires as the green car came up suddenly and fast.

In a panic, Trixie jerked hard on the wheel, to get out of the way as it passed too close to her vehicle.

The car jolted suddenly as the green one clipped them.

Before any of the passengers could even register that, the car was skidding and spinning out of control.

Right towards the ditch!

* * *

**A/n: **I am so sorry for taking do long to update. I got really busy this week, and was sort of not feeling, but here it is now, and I hope you enjoyed! As always, please review. As you know, I always love to hear what you think :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything but the plot and suspects, everything else I am merely borrowing.

* * *

"Trixie! Trixie! Are you okay? Honey! Trixie!"

Trixie blinked groggily, confused by her surroundings; her head felt heavy, the world seemed to be slurring in and out of focus.

She heard a dull groan, "What happened? I remember driving and then we were..."

"We crashed into the ditch," Ben's voice was relatively clear beside her ear, "that no good - Trixie!"

Ben tapped her shoulder sharply, and she snapped back to attention. Her head throbbed.

"Honey we need to get out of the car. Do you think you could do that? Does it feel like you broke anything?"

Ben was taking control of the situation.

Honey nodded her head, "I can do that."

"What about," the words started out of Trixie's mouth but everyone was already moving. No one was listening.

Still confused, Trixie looked around, trying to get her fumbling hands to grip on to something to get out of the car. Why was she so out of it? What was wrong with her, and why was it affecting no one else?  
Trixie squinted at the light that came from the door that had been wedged open about halfway. Her senses were slowly coming back to her.

"Ben, what are you-?"

"Does it feel like you broke anything?" he repeated what he had said to Honey, "Does anything hurt?"

"Just my head. I think I-"

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

Trixie glared at him, suddenly fed up with the whole charade.

"Three," she replied grumpily, "Now can someone please get me out of this stupid contraption!"

Ben apologized and together they managed to get her squeezed out through the small opening created by the broken door. Once out of the car, Trixie wobbled slightly and Ben had to reach out an arm to keep her from falling.

"Easy there Tiger," he quipped gripping firmly on both her arms to keep her steady, "You okay? I think you bonked your head pretty hard. That's why I didn't want to take you out of the car too soon."

Trixie looked at his hands on her arms for a long moment, feeling her cheeks grow warm with a blush. What was wrong with her? She couldn't be... no, she wasn't falling for Ben. It was impossible. She really must have 'bonked her head pretty hard'.

"Trixie?" Ben's grip tightened and he leaned in closer, concern on his face, making sure she was okay and alert; obviously he was still concerned about the head injury.

"I'm fine," she flinched back away, causing herself to wobble even more and needing Ben to be closer to, once again, keep her steady.

As soon as she was fine, she got her hands from Ben and put as much distance between them as she felt sure he wouldn't think odd.

She groaned when she saw the car, "Dan's going to kill me."

The front end was squashed beyond recognition, for that was the end that had plummeted into the ditch. It was what had stopped her car door from opening. Smoke was fuming out of the destroyed hood, and the back wheels were hanging uselessly in the air.

"No he won't," Ben responded, "It wasn't your fault; that green car knocked you off the road. It was-"

"Dylan Marks."

"Pardon?"

Trixie and Ben turned to Honey in surprise, who looked back at them with solemn wide eyes.

"When that car passed I could have sworn I saw Dylan in the car. I think that other girl, Angela was there too, but I - I couldn't see that clearly."

The three were silent then, taking in what they had heard. If Dylan had been in the car that had run them off the road than that would mean that...

An older woman came rushing down the street then concern written all over her pale face, "Are you three alright? I saw the whole thing out of my window. Help should be on its way."

The three looked at each other, all talk of Dylan Marks would have to wait.

* * *

After being informed that she had hit her head, the paramedics insisted that Trixie be taken to the hospital for some tests.

While the doctors inspected Trixie's head, Ben used the pay phone to call over to the school and tell them what had happened. He also got someone to come to pick them up, since the car they took out there, was obviously not going to take them back.

Trixie was surprised then to find only Honey in the waiting room when she came out, with no concussion and only a prescription for pain medicine and a suggestion that she have someone what her up every so often this evening just to be on the safe side.

Honey threw her arms around Trixie as soon as she appeared, "I am so glad you're okay. I know everyone else will be too."

"Speaking of everyone else, where are they?"

"Oh, Ben went to the parking lot to meet whoever was coming out to pick us up," Honey paused a moment, a confused look appearing on her face, "though he should be here back up by now."

"Maybe they were delayed, let's go see."

The two girls left the waiting room and broke into the cool evening air. It had grown dark since they had gone inside, and Trixie shivered, pulling her arms closer around herself wishing she had thought to bring a coat.

Both girls looked around the front doors, surprised to see no sign of Ben. Honey opened her mouth to ask the obvious question when they heard the voices.

Loud, familiar voices.

Trixie put her finger to her lips, and together the two girls crept forward until the words became clear.

"What exactly do you think you are doing, Riker?" Jim's voice was raised and easily identifiable.

"I think I'm helping her," Ben's voice wasn't nearly as loud, but just as clear, and contained just as much venom, "She's going to do it on her own anyways, I figure I might as well join in. Maybe that way something bad may not happen."

Jim's voice dropped and Trixie and Honey had to shuffle forward to be able to hear what he would say, "I use to do that; she use to let me do that."

"I'm sorry," Ben's voice was sympathetic, companionable, "She's... Trixie's a special girl - to lose her favour, I don't think I could imagine how awful that must be."

"You have no idea," Jim's voice sounded broken. Trixie bit her lip, guilt twinkling in the pit of her stomach at the knowledge that she had done that to him.

But then her heart twisted painfully reminding her that she hadn't been alone in that relationship. Jim was as much to blame for how it ended as she was. More so in fact, since she hadn't been found locking lips with someone else.

Twice.

"Trix," Honey's voice was right in her ear, "I really don't think we should be listening to this."

Trixie nodded her head but didn't move. Her feet wouldn't let her. She knew that Honey was right but it appeared that she wasn't able to listen to morals at the moment. For all her righteous thoughts, Honey herself didn't seem in that much of a hurry to go rush off.

"It was so much easier to hate you when you were acting like a child," Jim was speaking again, "I was so jealous of you back then, for that one fall. It just took me a while to realize it."

"You were jealous of _me_?" Ben sounded shocked.

"Of course. That fall you came for thanksgiving after that whole hurricane fiasco. Trixie needed her ring out of the bank so she could get Lytell to keep Brian's car. Honey convinced her that the only way to keep everyone from keeling over with shock when she asked for it was to say that she had fallen in love - with you."

"She was pretending to be in love with _me_?"

"Yes, but you were too busy with Di to notice - as Honey and Trixie wanted."

Ben was silent for a long moment.

"I was a fool."

"I certainly thought so," Jim said with bitter humor, "I didn't realize why I suddenly disliked you so, how much I cared for her until..."

They were silent for a very long time. Trixie, cheeks blushing scarlet and head confused thought that maybe she should show herself when Jim spoke again.

"Now that you aren't acting like a child or a fool I can't honestly pretend that I dislike you for any other reason than the truth. I put myself in this situation; I lost her all on my own. You have more right to her than I do now, and I'm sure you will be smart enough to not screw it up."

There was a pause and a shuffling sound, "If it will make you feel any better, I don't think she wants me."

Jim snorted, "I would be so sure of that."

Silence descended once more.

Trixie hidden in the darkness was full of confusion. There was the usual mingle of pain, ecstasy and fear that she always got now a days when she was around Jim and his feelings. But this time it was joined with a new confusion, the same confusion she had begun to feel at the wreck.

She didn't like Ben - not like that - she couldn't. He was nothing like Jim. Ben went about with his roguish grin and plethora of jokes. He let lies fall off his tongue with ease and certainly didn't go for girls like her.

And yet... there was that moment by the car, and others, now that she was looking back at them she could see it. From the moment he had appeared. What had he whispered to her then? It had made her blush at the time. She had thought that he was just fooling around, like he always did, but now...

_"Don't worry Belden," Ben whispered hugging her again, "You look good." _

This was crazy. It was all crazy. Ben Riker did not like her, and she certainly did not like him.

Did she?

"Just one thing you should know, Riker," Jim spoke, "No matter how much you think you will be able to save her from it all, from herself, no matter how close you stick to her, she will find a way to get away, or get you into some other situation you don't think you will be able to get her out of. And no matter how that ends, you will forever hold it against yourself. Don't worry, she never fails to do it. That's Trixie."

Trixie shook her head. Does she really do that to people? She couldn't listen to this any longer. It wasn't right, and she didn't want to hear it anymore. She couldn't handle it.

With a common nod, both girls seemed to know their eavesdropping was done. They circled back the way they came, and then approached again, this time, making sure to make noise.

"Ben," Trixie called, just barely remember she wasn't supposed to know Jim was there before she added his name, "Ben are you over here?"

"Trixie!" Immediately both boys jumped to alertness, coming towards her with concern on their faces.

As if by an unspoken agreement - something that probably had to do with the conversation she shouldn't have heard - Jim stumbled to an awkward stop after only a few steps, while Ben got much closer before he hesitated.

As much out of sympathy for her friend, as for real relief at seeing a familiar face after a traumatic experience Honey called out her brother's name and threw her arms around him.

While Jim was distracted by Honey - who he had been just as concerned for - Trixie, thankfully, only had to deal with Ben.

With a quick glance to Jim, Ben stepped closer to Trixie, concern written on his handsome face.

Ben_ was_ good looking. Trixie couldn't deny that. He had that classic actor, ancient Greek or Roman look about him with his fair blond hair, sharp chiseled features, and athletic build.

But she didn't care about that, did she? She never used to. It hadn't ever registered in her brain.

Or had it, but she had never noticed.

His eyes roamed her face, as if they could spot the problem right there.

"What did they say? Any permanent damage?"

Trixie seemed to have trouble meeting his eyes. The words she shouldn't have heard and all the feelings she wasn't sure she should be feeling were bouncing around in her head, making it impossible to feel normal.

Impossible to meet his gaze.

"Fine, perfect bill of health," she tried to laugh but it sounded hollow even to her own ears, " takes a lot to break me."

"So there is nothing to worry about? No head injury?" Trixie jumped at Jim's voice. She hadn't noticed that he had come that close.

Suddenly cornered by them both Trixie didn't know where to put her eyes. She was sure they could see right through her. They knew she knew. That she had heard.

"Just a bruise," Trixie shrugged trying to be blasé.

Honey put a sympathetic hand on her friends arm.

"Why don't we just get back; I'm exhausted. I can only imagine what Trixie must be feeling. I didn't have to bother with the doctors," Honey smiled at the boys, "We can talk in the morning."

The boys promptly agreed, and they all climbed into Jim's car, Trixie more thankful than the rest.

With all that happened, Trixie, in the back with Honey, quietly stared out the window as everything she learned spun through her head.

Was Dylan the one she was looking for? If Honey was right about him running them off the road than it certainly looked so, but it didn't quite fit. What motive did he have?

It didn't make sense.

The lights flashed into the vehicle as they pulled into the school's parking lot, and highlighted the two boy's silhouette's against the dark night.

She couldn't deal with what she had heard. Her head began to throb.

She slid out of the car, slamming the door shut, and then sagging against it.

This trip was supposed to make everything better. She was supposed to get over her problems and things were supposed to be like they were before, before she ever started dating Jim, when everything was simple.

But now everything seemed to be getting worse, not better.

How could she still like Jim, still hate him for everything, and love him at the same time?

How could she love Jim, and yet have this thing with...

"Hey are you alright?" Ben slipped out of the car in front of her, and squinted in the dark, "You were really quiet back there, and now..."

Trixie wanted to scream, she wanted to throw something.

She wanted, for a moment, to kiss Ben, and that scared her.

Nothing was alright.

Instead she smiled thinly at him, "Never better."

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you so much for reading this chapter; I am so sorry it took me so long to update, I got a little distracted by a few things. Anyways please, as always, feel free to leave a review, tell me what you liked or didn't like, favourite parts, things you think I need to imporve on. Just tell me what you think. I always love to hear it.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/n: **I am so sorry that I took so long to update this. Summer ended and then I just got caugth up in a bunch of stuff, but I think it's a pretty solid next instalment and I hope that will make up for it.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything - borrowing it all but the mystery.

* * *

"What's going on with you and my cousin?"

Trixie sighed; she had been wondering when Honey would get around to this question since everything that had occurred the evening before.

Wondering and dreading it.

"Nothing," Trixie said with a shrug, feigning disinterest. She did not wish to go into it - even with her best friend.

"Don't you give me that Trixie Belden," Honey's pretty features contorted into a stern glare, "I saw it. He likes you."

Trixie laughed as if the thought was absurd even though it had occurred to her only the night before, "Don't be ridic. Ben Riker does not like girls like me."

At least that was what she had been telling herself. He hated Tomboys, always have. He was much more interested in the glamorous type - like Di.

"Don't put yourself down," Honey defended her against herself, as she always had, "You are absolutely stunning, and you know it."

"I'm not putting myself down Hon, I'm just stating a fact. Ben has always gone for a certain type and I am just not it."

Honey sniffed, "I know my cousin, and he likes you."

Trixie paused. For a while she had been able to convince herself that she was imagining everything with Ben but with Honey behaving so certain…

Was it possible that they both could be so wrong?

Did she even want to be wrong?

"Well maybe he isn't _my _type," Trixie said holding her head slightly higher.

That was what she was trying to convince herself. Ben was so-so… he was so _not _Jim. Even with years of advanced maturity they were as differed as night and day.

Jim might have hurt her but that didn't mean…

"Is he?" Honey asked softly.

How could she still love Jim - for she did - and yet even think…

Her shoulders dropped, "I don't know; I use to think… but now?"

The two girls stayed in silence for a long moment. Each trapped in their own thoughts that were leading them to remarkably similar places.

"What about Jim?"

Trixie sighed again, "I don't know Honey, I just don't know."

* * *

No matter what other problems were going on in her life, Trixie's moll dick badge always came on first.

And now she had as big a problem to solve for a mystery than ever.

"Why would Dylan run us off the road if he didn't do it?"

Ben looked at Trixie, "then you don't think he did it?"

"Are you sure you saw him?" she ignored Ben and turned to Honey.  
The three were holed up in the girls' room to go over what they had so far. Both Trixie and Honey had, for the time being, forgotten about their conversation that morning.

"Well I can't be _certain,_ everything was so chaotic after the crash but…" Honey paused a moment before she gave a small yet determined nod, "if I had to say, I would say yes - he was in the car."

"Why wouldn't you suspect Dylan? There was definitely something off about the guy, " Ben repeated his question.

"I know, it's just that…" she paused a moment her blue eyes glazing over with thought, "I don't understand _why _he would do it; everything we have says that Jane was leaving Thomas for him."

She bit her lip softly as she thought, trying to think of some clue she was missing.

"Maybe he didn't actually want her," Honey suggested.

Trixie opened her mouth to disagree but Ben beat her to it, "Nah, did you hear the way the man spoke of her? A man does not speak about a girl that way unless she is pretty darn special to him."

"Exactly," Trixie threw her hands in the air, "That's why it doesn't make sense." She turned to Ben, "you're a boy - if the girl you want tells you she is leaving her boyfriend to be with you, are you going to kill her?"

Ben took a long time to answer. Instead he let his gaze wander over Trixie's for a long moment before shaking his head, as if for a second he had forgotten the question.

"Never."

Trixie blushed but refused to get distracted. This wasn't the time for anything that didn't have to do with Jane.

"Exactly," she stated, "So what are we missing?"

The three sat in silence, each deep in thought, trying to find the nugget they were missing; the nugget that would make everything make sense, fall into place.

"What do we know so far?" Honey asked, breaking the silence.

Trixie held her finger up and went over to the small desk, pulling out a piece of paper. With a pen she printed Jane's name on the centre of the page in bold clear print.

"We know she had a fight, and broke up with her boyfriend," she scrawled Thomas's name to the left of Jane's.

"They did that because Jane was seen with another boy, " Ben added. Trixie nodded and wrote Dylan's name on the other side of the page.

"And Thomas was told that by her best friend," Honey finished, so Trixie added Angela's name to the top of the page.

She drew a little picture of a crashed car by Dylan's name, "So then that leaves us where we started - why would Dylan push us off the road?"

"If Jane was going to leave Thomas for him," Honey clarified.

There was a slight pause as all three looked at the paper.

"Unless," Ben took the pen from Trixie and drew a question mark between Dylan and Jane's names, "she wasn't going to go steady with Dylan after all."

* * *

The sun shone down on Trixie, lighting up her unruly curls, and turning her into a glowing beacon from her perch at the top of the hill.

In her hand dangled a simple, old locket; a locket that although she rarely wore - almost never -she enjoyed having around when she thought - when she was really in the mood to ponder. As she was now.

Shifting the chain in her hand, she flipped the locked open with practiced easy to look at the photos inside.

One was an old photograph, placed in the locket before it was given to her. It was a couple, old fashioned - people she had never met in her life - and on the woman's neck there was an exquisite emerald necklace.

The other picture she should have removed long ago. She had tried several times but every time she would move to do so she would realize that she could not.

So despite the pain it caused her, Jim's smiling face stayed right where it was.

Right where it belonged.

So deep in her own thoughts, her mind filled with ideas of Jane, Thomas, Ben and - always - Jim, that she failed to hear the footsteps of the person approaching up the hill until they spoke.

"Hey, is that Ruth's locket?" Jim's voice, soft yet surprised, startled her.

She quickly snapped the trinket shut, blushing and hoping that he hadn't noticed the photos inside it.

"Yes, it is," she replied softly, gathering the chain up in her hand until the whole thing was hidden from view.

"I didn't know you kept that," he said softly, "that was quite the trip - one of our better ones, I'd say."

Trixie smiled despite herself as memories of their week or so in Virginia came back to her, "It was - we made some good friends there…. The Bob-Whites were always making good friends."

"We still could."

Trixie's head snapped up and their eyes met. The words, although spoken softly hung in the air, being held as firmly as if they had been a command. It enveloped the two into a small parcel of words, both spoken and unspoken.

Trixie was the first to break it.

"What are you doing here?"

"For you. I wanted to…" Jim sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Can we talk?"

Trixie bit her lip and moved her gaze to the land below her.

The hill was a tall one situated just behind the last of the school buildings; below her sprawled all of Jim's land - Jim's school - Jim's dream.

And it was easier to look at it than think about what would be opened up if she allowed Jim to speak right now.

She began to wrap a loose curl around her finger.

"Do you - do you want to sit down?" she let her eyes flash to his face for a moment before quickly settling back on the valley.

She heard him more than saw him settle himself down beside her - not too close, but not too far either. They were a safe distance away - a distance that was neutral, that didn't speak anything.

"It's quite a sight isn't it?" he finally said looking down at what was before them both, "I really just can't believe that after all this time - I never actually thought-"

"It's great Jim, it's really, really," she shook her head, "I mean gleeps, it's your dream Jim! I'm - I'm really proud of you. No matter what else happened… I want you to know that this," she waved her hand over all that was his, "to get all this was exactly what I wanted for you."

There was a pause where Trixie continued to nervously fiddle with her hair while Jim plucked a piece of grass from the ground and ran it between his fingers.

"Thank you Trixie," he paused again, focusing really hard on his blade of grass, "But I've found that- that it's not the same as I thought it would be - it isn't as good without you."

Trixie felt her jaw drop slightly and her face colour, "Jim -"

"No Trix, just let me get this out. I've had a lot of time to think about this and I think it's about time that you let me say it," he followed his stern statement with a stern glance.

Trixie was too stunned to respond; her heart was beating wildly, her brain was frozen, and her tongue was broken.

Jim decided to take this silence as an agreement.

"Before you found me in that crumbling old building my uncle left me, my life was a mess. I was going nowhere - I was a jaded kid who was desperate to do anything to keep me from Jonesy - You changed that. You - and Honey -changed my life; you were the best things to ever happen to me.

"But it was more than that Trixie. From that moment on, whether I knew it or not, all my memories - my life - was, _is _you. I remember everything; the way you looked calling out through the smoke as Ten Acres burned down, the look of satisfied joy when you found me at the Smith's farm, the way I wanted to smack Dick upside the head for laying a hand on you. The square dance in Arizona, your ice skating routine, that locket - how _stupid _I was not to realize you were asking for help the night before the antique show, what might have happened if we hadn't shown up at that Hamburger joint - that god damn flood."

He sighed and shook his head, "But I screwed that up. I know what that looked like and I don't expect you to forgive me but… you got to know I was stupid, yes, and too trusting, but I would never do anything to intentionally harm you."

Once more he stopped, dropping the piece of grass from his hand and taking a long time to regroup himself.

"As inadequate a word as it is, I just wanted - needed - to say I'm sorry, and although I don't expect, can't expect for anything to go back to the way it was - wanted to ask - beg -please don't cut me out of your live. I just want … I want you in whatever way you'll let me have you."

Trixie blinked. Her head was full, bouncing with all the words that he had said, and memories that had been stirred up.

Her heart, though, was oddly calm.

Without even thinking about them the words she needed came.,

"It really hurt me Jim. I trusted you, and then," Trixie bit her lip and shook her head, pushing the memory aside, "I know how I reacted was… but I needed time - I needed to get away. And then it just became easier to hide."

Taking a deep breath she geared up her strength until she was looking Jim right in the eyes.

"But I can't hide anymore - coming here made me think and," she swallowed deeply, "I do believe you - I think some part of me always did. But I can't -" she broke eye contact for a moment, "I missed you too - but friends is all I can - I can't -"

Her stuttering was interrupted when Jim placed his hand over hers,

"Friends is all I need."

* * *

**A/N: **Well that was the chapter. Thank you for reading I hope you enjoyed it - and for you Jim fans I hope that last bit was enought to make up for such a long break - as always I would really love for you to review. Just take a quick second to tell me what you thought - what you liked or didn't, what I could improve on - and it would really be appricated.


	13. I AM COMING BACK

RIGHT GUYS! Usually I hate just an Authors note posts, but for the sake of this I am going to do one. I am hoping by doing so and - possibly - getting your hopes up, I'll feel too bad about dashing them and therefore have to finish this story.

So Step one, the apologize. I am sorry, I got really in RP in the last few years and sort of abandoned my stories. Recently I have decided that I want to get back into writing stories because as much as I love RP for what it has done for my character development skills, and the friends I have made, I have realized it is a genuine ambition of mine to become a serious writer one day. And to do that I'll need to stop leaving stories half finished.

A lot of my stories on here suffer from poor writing skills, and general youthful mistakes. While I am not going to say I'm a lot better now I hope that I have improved enough that it might even be noticeable. Either way, this is one of the stories on here that I am completely proud of both plot and for the most part writing, and it always hurt me that I had lost mused for it and let it die. So, for those of you who are still actually interested in reading this story, I am going to try to actually post regularily and finish it.

That being said, my posts _may_ be a little slow. I have a job I have to spend most of my day at (eight hours) and I still am involved in my RP, I have also have a pact with my friend that we are each going to focus on one story and finish it this summer, and the story I have is a personal story I am coming with (Again see the "serious Author" thing. I feel like I also need to write stories with my own characters that can actually be published). I know this all sounds like a round about way of making excuses to forget about you again, but I promise they really are not. They are supposed to be reassurances. Reassurances that while I have other commitments, I am now also making a commitment to you, those of my loyal readers that are still interested in reading this story even though I haven't posted in almost two years. (I really am sorry). So no matter how slow it comes (and please feel free to hound me with PMs or reviews if I am taking too long. The guiltier you make me feel, the more likely I'll post back) I promise you, I shall finish this story.

Trixie shall find the killer.

And you'll finally figure out which boy she's going to choose.

Dun. Dun. Dun.


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything but the plot

* * *

Nothing every quite escaped Trixie's acute gaze, no matter how stealthy people assumed that they were being. In fact, more often than not, the more low key that a person, or a pair, tried to be, the more likely that Trixie would catch whatever it was that you were doing. In this cause, Trixie was not even completely sure that the two in question even realized what they were doing. There was a certain air about them, as they huddled next to each other, across the cafeteria as if they were the only two in the world, that stated they were not even thinking about it. They definitely were not trying to be sneaky.

Still no matter, what they thought that they were or were not doing, the fact of the matter was that Mart and Diana were indeed up to _something_. And Trixie was sure that she had just the name for it. It brought a little grin to her face as she rolled her food around her plate, absentmindedly, barely giving it any notice.

"What, the big city take that county girl appetite right out of you?" Her shoulders tensed ever so slightly at the voice, though she managed not to outright jump. Brian was always more somber and serious than the rest of the members. While he was known for a good joke, just like everyone, if anyone was going to sneak up on her, it would have been her eldest brother, "That isn't like you Trix and you know it."

The look that she gave her half finished plate was coloured with surprise. She had not even really noticed what she was doing, too lost in her own thoughts. So much was going on, and not just her mystery. Everything was sliding in place, or at least trying to and Trixie couldn't help but feel like that awkward piece. The stray jigsaw puzzle square that got put back into the wrong box, and no matter how many times you tried to jam it into place, it just was not going to fit into that picture that you were making. She was doing a great job at pretending, and she was even starting to fool herself. Things were looking like perhaps they were setting up for her, falling back into the ways they maybe use to be. The fact remained however, things could not be how they use to be, they just couldn't. So why should she pretend that they could?

Why should she pretend that she was meant to fit in this picture, when she knew she was destined for another space, the missing piece in a completely different picture?

The voice in the back of her mind wouldn't stop reminding her that, maybe she would not like what the other picture was, once it came together.

"Not so, brother dear. I am simply lost in thought, and you know that _is _like me."

The dark haired boy, flashed her a grin, his face lighting up slightly, "Truer words were never spoken."

Grinning herself, Trixie began to place food in her mouth, not quite at a Mart pace, but not exactly at a lady like pace either. Age did not mean that she had to behave like a lady; she had said it once - more than once probably - and she would always say it, a woman maybe, an adult definitely, but Trixie Belden was never going to be a lady. And she was proud of it.

"And what mystery has captured that scrambled brain of yours today? Are we still meddling with dead bodies you have been told to stay away from, or has something else caught your eye?" While he sounded mostly amused, she could hear the faintest of warning that she had been receiving from Jim all along. From Brian, with none of the extra feelings that came with being involved with Jim, the concern was accepted with a slightly more grace, however she couldn't help the defensive feeling that bubbled up in her anyway. She was an adult and capable of taking care of herself, when was everyone going to realize that?

"If you must know, Brian, I was pondering the mystery of our mutual sibling, and his dark haired interest." She tossed her head, though those blue eyes of hers sparkled playfully. A playful sparkle that was reflected in his own dark eyes, as Brian followed her gaze.

"Of course, the greatest mystery of all, love," Trixie avoided shifting uncomfortably, just barely, but did manage it. Considering everything that love was doing to her life, what it had done to her life, it was the one mystery that she was sure she was never going to solve. Whatever cards fate held for her, love just did not seem to be one of them. Not at least, any good sort of kind of love. "I myself, while I have not had quite the eye for mysterious acts as other members of my family, have been keeping an eye on that one for a while."

Turning her head to the side, Trixie couldn't help but grin ever so slightly, "And you haven't gotten told to bother out?"

"Our mutual Sibling, as you say, has been very mum, on the details of this relationship," Brian's amusement seemed to seep out of him for a moment, and he gave a sigh, "He was mum on this too, but last time he took it a little too hard when she left."

Resting her chin on her hands, Trixie watched the two with a careful gaze, looking from one, then the other and then back again. She was not entirely sure what she was looking for, definitely not sure if she was the one that was authorized to behave as if she had any knowledge on such actions, but she could not help but feel satisfied with was she saw.

"Di regretted last time." The other girl had not quite shared with her this news in exact words, but Trixie was sure that the clues she had gotten, lead to this anyway, "This time is different."

"You think so, Miss Belden?"

"I do, Mister Belden."

* * *

Trixie was not exactly avoiding Ben, however she was not seeking him out either. For the others around them, this did not seem like a something that was very unusual. Most of them - aside from Honey and Jim - had not noticed the two spending more time together than would be expected at all. If they had, they really did not think much of it at all. She had not been seeking him out all that often before. He was the one that had been looking for her, he always talked to her, came to find her, not the other way around. At least that was what she was telling herself.

While she did miss having another brain to talk the mystery over with, she also found that she needed wanted some space to think about things. Though the more she tried to think about things the more that her head hurt. Her conversation with Jim had left her feeling slightly content with where she stood with things. The pain and confusion that she felt had faded ever so slightly, and she could not be in the same room with the man without feeling as if the walls were going to come crashing in on her. It still hurt of course, but not as much as it use to. She had meant what she had said to him, and was sticking to those words. It might be hard at first, but this trip had shown her that they could possibly be friends again.

Part of her wondered if it hurt her so much because she had lost him - and all of her friends, her childhood, everything that mattered to her - completely. She had needed time to deal, that was something that would never change. Trixie looked back on those moments, and could not see how she could have continued to spend time with him right after it had happened. But maybe if she had stayed at home, if she had only taken a bit of time to accept what happen, and then went back to her friends like Dan had always told her to do, then it might not have hurt for so long.

She might have been able to let go of her pain a whole lot sooner.

All of that was what she had realized about Jim. All the headache that his presence has given her had seemed to fade with one conversation, yet, that conversation, and all the ones that it had come before it had caused a brand new confusion to fall upon her head. Something that she could not sort with said boy hovering over her shoulder making her feel all the things that she did not understand why she was even feeling them.

That was why she was avoiding him. Who was she kidding? Trixie was avoiding Ben and she could lie to herself all that she wanted, but they both knew it. The both knew it so well, that finally Ben had come to find that even his good natured patience's had had enough.

"Trixie!" While Ben did not quite sound angry as he moved across the wide field - she could not really recall a time in the last few days, or even as long as she had known him, in which Ben moved to sound completely angry - he did not sound pleased with her.

Although that might have been the reason for the twist that came in her stomach at the sound of his voice, she told herself otherwise. Thinking that the fact that he was displeased with her could cause her to be unhappy with herself was bringing on the start of the headache that she had been avoiding. His presence was enough to start that headache, it was enough to start her to think, and that was exactly what she had not wanted to do.

She had a mystery to solve, not boys to waste her thoughts on. That was not how good detectives got their jobs done.

"Ben, you hardly need to raise your voice like that, I can hear you." She gave a him a grin, it was the sort of grin that she gave every foe she had ever faced, telling them that no matter what they did she was not scared of them. The grin had never been true for any of them.

And it wasn't true now.

Ben did scare her and the fact that he scared her, made it twice as worse.

"Really Belden? You sure about that, because I don't think this was the first time recently I have talked to you; it's just the first time that you have spoken back."

Tossing her head, the girl gave an airy laugh. Something that she had learned from watching Di with boys, in fact, there might have even been a time when she had seen her friend use the same move on this very boy, "You're imaging things, Ben. "

He shook his head, those eyes of his adopting the faintest sketch of a hard edge. Trixie was stuck with the sudden thought that she may never have seen Ben angry before this moment, but she might very well see him angry now. Trixie was not entirely sure how she felt about such a thought; it scared and excited her at the same time.

And she wasn't sure she wanted to think about why it excited her.

"Lying isn't attractive Trixie." He grabbed her arm, stopping her from moving away, though she had not attempted to do so. Whatever he was about to say, he wanted to make sure the blonde girl stayed to listen, "You are avoiding me. If that's what you want to do, fine. You're a big girl and can make your own choices, but I think it's also only fair that you tell me why you are doing it."

Blinking, Trixie swallowed hard; what was the answer to that? Did she even have an answer? Was she avoiding him because she liked him? Because she didn't? She did not know what she felt about him, that was why she was avoiding him, but that sounded like an excuse to her own ears. It sounded like something that she did not want to admit to. This very situation was why she was avoiding him. Could he not see that.

"Why are you doing it Trix?"

He wasn't going to leave unless she said something. That much was obvious to her, so the only problem left was figure out what she wanted to say, or spend the rest of her life standing in this very spot. Her heart was hammering in her chest, the sound of it echoing in her ears so loud she did not even know what she was going to say, but at the very least she was sure she was going to say something.

Only, it turned out, in the end that she did not have to.

"Trixie?" Jim's voice called out to them, only sounding slightly hesitant. The expression on his face was hard to read from the safe distance he was keeping, creating a shadow that covered his features, but Trixie had a feeling that he wasn't that pleased anyway. "You have a visitor."

Surprised, she took a step away from Ben, his own reaction to this news so similar to her own that it too no effort at all to get out of his grip. He had all but forgotten his hand was even there, instead focusing on the unusual news that someone was here, to see her. Who would come to see her?

Who even knew that she was there?

"A Visitor?" That was from Ben, not her.

Jim's movement towards the other man still had a slightly sharp edge to it, "Yes. She said that Trixie knew her. You too, actually. Knew my name oddly enough."

Her eyebrows furrowed as a thought began to come to her, "Did she say her name?"

"Yes. Angela."

* * *

"I am so, so, _so_ sorry to have just shown up like this, but I just couldn't- I mean I just couldn't - weight down on- I just felt so _guilty_!"

The four sat in the just outside of the stables. At the picnic table sat Trixie and Ben facing an apparently distraught Angela; Jim who had refused to leave, stating he wanted to know what was going on, hovered underneath a tree nearby. He was far enough away to not appear to be intruding, however, he was still close enough that he could clearly hear every word spoken between the group at the table.

Confusion would be an understatement, to explain how all other members felt about Angela's reaction upon seeing Trixie, and Ben. Jim would later claim that she had been perfectly normal when she had walked into his office asking if he knew where she could find them. Still, one look at the curly haired blonde, and the other woman had broken into near hysterics, apologizing for something nobody but herself knew. It was moments like this that Trixie wished that Honey was around, however she had gone off with Brian for the day - it would be impossible to reach her. So Trixie would just have to attempt to be as kind and understanding as her best friend was.

"I just couldn't believe that he-"

_What would Honey do?_

Reaching out a hand, she placed it over top of the other girl's and lowered her head slightly so that she could look into her eyes instead, "Angela, sorry for what? He who?"

"Dylan! I mean, I always knew that he was a little unstable, what Jane thought she saw in him, I don't know. Thank _god_ she came to her senses before it was too late; but I mean I never thought that he would actually- I tried to stop him but he just kept going! It wasn't like I was driving, I was just a passenger, what could I do?"

Straightening suddenly, she pulled away from the other girl, an odd glow coming to her blue eyes as slowly the pins began to fall in place. Not only about why Angela had decided to come, but things about Dylan were becoming clear as well.

"Are you saying that Dylan was driving the car that pushed us off the road?" Ben's voice sounded distant as Trixie attempted to pull things together for herself. The tangled knot that was in her mind was slowly straightening out into separate threads. While all the threads had yet to form a full picture, she could feel that she was close. "And you were in the car as well?"

Angela gave another tearful response, filled with apologies and statements that she had been completely incapable of doing anything about it, but Trixie wasn't listening. She was still focusing on the one thing that she had said, the warm glow of a light bulb going off in her head as she thought more and more about it.

"Angela, you said 'thank god she came to her senses' what did you mean by that?"

The other girl, in mid sob, stopped suddenly, blinking and then as quickly as they had started, the hysterics were gone as if they had never existed. "Well, she left him didn't she? I mean everyone knew it wasn't going to work, it was only matter of time before Jane did it too. It was just what she was like Jane, could have any boy that she wanted, but always threw them away. It wasn't like they gave her up, adored the ground that she walked on. I always told her she would get in trouble for it."

Trixie leaned forward on the table, her head tilting slightly as she though further about what the other girl was saying to her, assessing it for what it was.

"So, you thought Dylan was trouble?"

"Everyone thought Dylan was trouble; I mean, you talked to him didn't you? He only use to be worse. Brooding, and thinking he was better than all of 'this', like he even knew what 'this' was. Jane was just too nice to behave otherwise." Angela seemed to have completely forgotten her former hysterics and was instead indulging in living in the past, departing her information as if she were something important.

She lost the rest of the conversation, focusing on the answers that she had gotten instead, filing them into her story, making a bigger picture.

_Everyone thought Dylan was trouble_.

* * *

She let out a slight yell as the box she was trying to put away toppled off the top of the stable, her balance rocking, and she was sure that the box was going to fall on her until she felt an arm wrap around her waist and another hand stopping the box from falling down on top of her.

"You trying to crush that pretty little head of yours Belden?"

Heat spread across her freckled face as she looked up to find him so close to her. When had he even gotten there? She had not heard him enter the stable.

"I suppose this is where I thank you then?"

He pushed the box back on its shelf and smiled. Though she noted how he hadn't actually stepped away from her; why wasn't he stepping away from her. There was no need for him to be this close. Actually, the better question was why hadn't she stepped away? She as a free person, she could leave whenever she wanted, so why hadn't she?

"Only if you want. Actually, I have a question for you."

She raised an eyebrow, "You do?"

"Can I kiss you?"

She blinked, the heat that was in her face increasing, and the hammering of her heart, the feeling from before and the echo in her head started up again. Out of all the things that she had expected to come out of his mouth, that had been the last one.

"Since when did Ben Riker ask first and kiss later?" Her voice wasn't as strong as she had wanted it to be, when she asked that question.

"When girl's started smacking me for being presumptuous."

"Presumptuous? You sound like my brother, the obnoxious one that is."

The boy only smiled bigger, "That was where I got that one."

A pause dragged on between the two, silence filling as he waited for an answer, and Trixie had in part forgotten he had even asked a question. She knew there was something she was supposed to focus on, but she just couldn't get her mind to fix upon it.

"So can I?"

She blinked slightly, shaking her head to clear her thoughts, "Can you what?"

"Can I kiss you?"

* * *

**a/n**: Well, I updated for you; I really hope that I haven't lost the flow of the story, and the characters. It has been a while and I am trying to get back into the swing of things. But anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and I shall try to update again soon!


End file.
